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YouTube’s response to Logan Paul’s ‘suicide forest’ video draws backlash

‘This is resoundingly hollow.’

Photo of Kris Seavers

Kris Seavers

Backlash emerged in early 2018 against Logan Paul's insensitive video depicting a man's suicide in Aokigahara.

YouTube on Tuesday responded to the fury and controversy surrounding the now-removed video Logan Paul posted that showed a dead body in an area of Japan known as the “suicide forest.”  

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“Our hearts go out to the family of the person featured in the video,” the company said in a statement. It continued with an iteration of its terms and regulations.

“YouTube prohibits violent or gory content posted in a shocking, sensational or disrespectful manner,” YouTube said. “If a video is graphic, it can only remain on the site when supported by appropriate educational or documentary information and in some cases it will be age-gated. We partner with safety groups such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to provide educational resources that are incorporated in our YouTube Safety Center.”

People on Twitter criticized the video platform, saying its statement seemed to be “hollow.”

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https://twitter.com/PhillyD/status/948154518474170368

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On Monday, Paul tweeted an apology for the video he has since taken down. It showed footage of a dead body in Aokigahara, an 11.5-square mile forest on Mt. Fuji known as the “suicide forest.”

“I’ve never faced criticism like this before, because I’ve never made a mistake like this before,” Paul tweeted.

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He also apologized in a vlog, but many people called on YouTube to ban Paul from its platform and questioned why the company didn’t step in sooner.

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The controversy came one month after YouTube revealed plans to expand its moderation team to help remove “problematic content,” including extremist rhetoric and hate speech.

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For more information about suicide prevention or to speak with someone confidentially, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (U.S.) or Samaritans (U.K.).

H/T BuzzFeed

 
The Daily Dot