LGBT group sues YouTube
August 16, 2019
A group of US YouTubers is suing the video-sharing website and parent company Google, claiming both discriminate against LGBT-themed videos and their creators. The group claims YouTube restricts advertising on LGBT videos and limits their reach and discoverability.
The group is hoping a jury will hear its case in California.
The legal action makes a wide range of claims, including that YouTube:
- removes advertising from videos featuring “trigger words” such as “gay” or “lesbian”
- often labels LGBT-themed videos as “sensitive” or “mature” and restricts them from appearing in search results or recommendations
- does not do enough to filter harassment and hate speech in the comments section
YouTube has responded saying it did not discriminate against LGBT video-makers.
“Our policies have no notion of sexual orientation or gender identity and our systems do not restrict or demonetise videos based on these factors or the inclusion of terms like ‘gay’ or ‘transgender’,” spokesman Alex Joseph said. “In addition, we have strong policies prohibiting hate speech and we quickly remove content that violates our policies and terminate accounts that do so repeatedly.”