Google is set to vet top-tier YouTube videos used by major advertisers, according to a new report.
This latest move is part of the company’s push to stop inappropriate content being shown alongside advertisers, according to an anonymous source.
It comes as the platform announces it is cutting ties with vlogger Logan Paul after he posted a video of him with friends laughing at a dead body in Aokigahara forest – one of the most prevalent suicide spots in the world.
Google is set to vet top-tier YouTube videos used by major advertisers, according to a new report. It comes as the platform announces it is cutting ties with vlogger Logan Paul after he posted a video of him with friends laughing at seeing a dead body in Aokigahara forest
YouTube has cancelled Logan Paul’s lucrative Google Preferred ad deal and limited the media star’s ability to earn money from the platform.
As a result of the controversial video, the company is now using human moderators and AI to spot if preferred videos are appropriate for ads.
The company’s ‘Preferred program’ allows companies to exclusively publish ads on videos of the top five per cent of YouTube creators that command the highest prices with advertisers.
Over the past year, ‘brand safety’ has been a reoccurring problem for YouTube – prompting a series of pledges to fix things.
In a statement to Bloomberg, a Google spokesperson said, ‘We built Google Preferred to help our customers easily reach YouTube’s most passionate audiences and we’ve seen strong traction in the last year with a record number of brands.
‘As we said recently, we are discussing and seeking feedback from our brand partners on ways to offer them even more assurances for what they buy in the Upfronts.’
The 22-year-old’s multimillion subscriber channels are being removed as a preferred ad partner and all original projects with Logan are now being put on hold, YouTube revealed on Wednesday.
Logan also has been cut from the original YouTube comedy series Foursome, which stars other similar social media entertainers.
‘In light of recent events, we have decided to remove Logan Paul’s channels from Google Preferred,’ a YouTube spokesperson said earlier this week.
As a result of the controversial video, the company is now using human moderators and AI to spot if Preferred videos are appropriate for ads
It comes after YouTube faced backlash for not quickly responding to the video Logan posted on December 31. YouTube issued the above statement on Twitter on Tuesday
‘Additionally, we will not feature Logan in Season 4 of Foursome and his new originals are on hold,’ YouTube added.
It comes after the video sharing company faced backlash for not quickly responding to the video Logan posted on December 31.
YouTube issued a statement 11 days later condemning Logan and the footage.
The social media star created furor when he posted a 15-minute video of him coming upon the corpse of a man hanging from a tree in a Japanese forest known for its high rate of suicides.
The social media star created furor when he posted a 15-minute video of him coming upon the corpse of a man hanging from a tree in a Japanese forest known for its high rate of suicides
The video, which had the title ‘We found a dead body’, was viewed some 6 million times before being removed from his YouTube channel – a verified account with more than 15 million subscribers.
YouTube issued a statement on Twitter on Tuesday in relation to Logan’s video.
‘Many of you have been frustrated with our lack of communication recently. You’re right to be. You deserve to know what’s going on,’ the statement read.
‘Like many others, we were upset by the video that was shared last week.
‘Suicide is not a joke, nor should it ever be a driving force for views. As Anna Akana put it perfectly: ‘That body was a person someone loved. You do not walk into a suicide forest with a camera and claim mental health awareness.
‘We expect more of the creators who build their community on YouTube, as we’re sure you do too… the channel violated our community guidelines, we acted accordingly, and we are looking at further consequences.
The vlogger took the video down a day after posting it following widespread outrage and issued a grovelling apology (above) saying he intended to raise awareness of suicide
The 22-year-old’s multimillion subscriber channels are being axed and all original projects with Logan are now being put on hold, YouTube revealed on Wednesday
‘It’s taken us a long time to respond, but we’ve been listening to everything you’ve been saying.’
‘We know that the actions of one creator can affect the entire community, so we’ll have more to share soon on steps we’re taking to ensure a video like this is never circulated again.’
The vlogger took the video down a day after posting it following widespread outrage and issued a grovelling apology.
‘I’m so sorry about this… suicide is not a joke. Depression and mental illnesses are not a joke,’ he said.
He claimed he had intended to raise awareness about suicide by filming the video.
‘If this video saves just ONE life, it’ll be worth it,’ he said.
‘I was misguided by shock and awe, as portrayed in the video. I still am.’
The video showed Logan walking through the forest near Mount Fuji with two friends when they came across the corpse of a man hanging from a tree.
Paul zoomed his camera to focus on the man’s body before yelling out: ‘Yo, are you alive? Are you f**king with us?’
He went onto to say that the man’s hands were purple, which meant he must have only committed suicide hours before.