The chair of the Home Affairs Committee, Yvette Cooper MP, has said that she has flagged a Neo-Nazi video “at least seven times” with YouTube – only for the content to keep reappearing.
The BBC reports that the clip promotes a speech given by a group called National Action in 2016 at a demonstration in Darlington.
“I am writing to demand an immediate explanation of why YouTube is continuing to host and promote through your search engines propaganda from the proscribed far right extremist organisation National Action — despite your repeated promises to the Committee to stop it and despite me raising one particular propaganda video directly with you and your senior colleagues at least seven times,” a letter from Cooper reads.
“Despite promises that this video would be removed, it is still up on YouTube. I am shocked and disturbed at YouTube's complete failure to deal with this known illegal video. It shows either hopeless incompetence or a shameful abdication of responsibility."
Eighth Time Lucky
“You, and your colleagues from Google, have repeatedly told me and the Committee that proscribed organisations are not allowed on your platforms; that you are getting better and quicker at removing inappropriate content; and that technology and machine-learning is improving all the time," Cooper continued.
“Yet a year on, supporters and promoters of National Action are still able to spread their dangerous and hate-filled ideologies on YouTube, and find similar content propagated by other users. I would ask that you explain immediately why this video is still available on YouTube, what concrete and practical steps Google will be taking to ensure that it cannot be uploaded again and that users are not autoplayed more and more extreme material, as well as what additional proactive measures, which this incident demonstrates are urgently needed, will be put in place.”
Cooper has demanded an official response by tomorrow (March 9th).
Google has in response told the BBC that it will take action.
"We do not want National Action content on YouTube and while we recognise our systems haven't worked 100% in this instance we're getting faster at removing violent extremist content by investing in machine learning technology and by hiring more people," a spokesman said.
