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YouTube bans David Duke, Richard Spencer, and others over hate speech

Several known white supremacists were the subjects of permanent bans from the platform.

Donovan Erskine

June 30, 2020 8:55 AM

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We’ve witnessed major shifts throughout the gaming and entertainment industries over the last month. In the wake of George Floyd’s wrongful death at the hands of police, the Black Lives Matter movement has gained more momentum than ever before. Because of this, we’ve seen a countless number of brands make moves that show consumers that they’re on the side of those fighting for racial equality.This includes some of the world’s biggest media platforms doing their part to filter out those spewing hatred. YouTube has banned David Duke, Richard Spencer, and Stefan Molyneux, among others over hate speech. 

These slew of bans came through on June 29, as YouTube, the world’s largest video platform, dropped the hammer on a number of individuals and groups that used their channels to promote hate speech. “We have strict policies prohibiting hate speech on YouTube, and terminate any channel that repeatedly or egregiously violates those policies,” a YouTube spokesperson shared with The Verge. YouTube updated their terms of service in 2019, which included more focus and harsher penalties for those who partook in hate speech.

Specifically, YouTube is looking at channels that post “videos alleging that a group is superior in order to justify discrimination, segregation or exclusion based on qualities like age, gender, race, caste, religion, sexual orientation or veteran status.” One might ask themself how come it took so long for the likes of David Duke and Richard Spencer to be hoisted from the platform, but as the saying goes, better late than never.

Outside of bans, YouTube has also dealt out softer penalties for those that tip-toe a little too close to the line, such as demonetizing their content. These bans are just a handful of what we’ve seen going around the internet. Most recently, Twitch suspended Donald Trump’s official account for hateful conduct. We doubt that this is the end, so we’ll be sure to tell you what racist has been relieved of their platform next right here on Shacknews.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a young journalist from Maryland, who likes to game. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge Scream nerd and film fanatic that will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_