Creators on YouTube are expressing disdain after hundreds of videos promoting essay-writing service EduBirdie were removed from the platform.
The Google-owned company has taken action after a BBC investigation uncovered over 250 channels and 1400 videos promoting EduBirdie - a service that allows students to hire people to write their essays for them.
YouTube's advertising policy clearly states that academic aids are not permitted to be promoted on the platform. This includes "test-taking" services and academic paper writing services, which EduBirdie falls under.
Do it yourself
YouTuber AldosWorldTV, who has 1.7m subscribers, tweeted that more than 30 of his videos had been removed without explanation. He also questioned why it has taken until now for YouTube to state that this is inappropriate conduct.
Has anyone downloaded any of these videos off my channel?! pic.twitter.com/e21Oc1AQ8U
— AldosWorldTv
I dont understand how @YTCreators would let everyone promote edubirdie & now suddenly its annapropriate? You need to communicate more, wouldnt have promoted them in the first place if it wasnt ok but now I have 30+ videos gone.
— AldosWorldTv
Shutting it down
While YouTube has declined to comment on the recent purge, it told the BBC last week that "YouTube creators may include paid endorsements as part of their content only if the product or service they are endorsing complies with our advertising policies,"
"We do not allow ads for essay writing and so paid promotions of these services will be removed when we discover them. We will be working with creators going forward so they better understand that in video promotions must not promote dishonest activity."
EduBirdie's own YouTube channel now only has one video left; dozens of other videos have been made private by the company or removed by YouTube.
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