Right-wing social media personalities criticized YouTube’s decision Wednesday to demonetize a conservative comedian’s videos after he mocked and harassed a gay journalist for months.
YouTube made the decision less than 24 hours after it initially said it wouldn’t take action against Steven Crowder for his repeated comments about Vox writer Carlos Maza.
Maza's Twitter thread detailing the harassment from Crowder and his fans generated widespread attention and a response from the Google-owned video company.
Other right-wing influencers, many of whom rely on social media platforms to reach their audiences and generate income, lashed out at the decision, painting it as an ideologically-motivated attack on conservatives and an infringement on free speech.
“YouTube is free to curate content for its views based on ideology, of course, but if that’s the case, they can no longer claim to be a platform,” added Lauren Chen, a YouTube blogger. “They are a publisher, and should be held legally accountable as such.”
But YouTube ultimately found what many critics that Crowder’s comments — which included calling Maza a “lispy queer" and the "gay Mexican from Vox" — were in clear violation of the company’s policies against content “that makes hurtful and negative personal comments/videos about another person.”
YouTube also cited a link posted on Crowder’s page to a store selling "Socialism Is For Fags" t-shirts.
Just spoke with YouTube. Confirmed, the second Adpocalypse IS here and they’re coming for you. More details to follow. Stay tuned.
— Steven Crowder (@scrowder) June 5, 2019
Hey @YouTube , does Colbert’s video skit of me getting shot violate your standards also or are you only specifically demonetizing conservatives? https://t.co/Kq1J7QybKC https://t.co/WjxyX8PPhB
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) June 5, 2019
Scorched Earth.
— Tim Pool (@Timcast) June 5, 2019
The Sociopaths at the dying media are taking everyone out. https://t.co/r9c9pig9rJ
Many on the right, including President Trump
Donald John TrumpBiden says voters should choose who nominates Supreme Court justice Trump, Biden will not shake hands at first debate due to COVID-19 Pelosi: Trump Supreme Court pick 'threatens' Affordable Care Act MORE and other leading GOP lawmakers, have claimed Silicon Valley companies are biased against conservatives, relying largely on anecdotal evidence to level accusations of censorship and slanting search results against them.
Internet companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter have all denied that politics motivates their content decisions.
