YouTube deleted 1.5 million videos from Bangladesh

YouTube deleted 1.5 million videos from Bangladesh

In the past three months, YouTube has taken stringent measures against policy violations by removing over 150,000 videos uploaded from Bangladesh. The platform cited various reasons for the removal, including extremism, nudity, spam, and non-compliance with child-friendly standards. This action was disclosed in a report by Dismisslab, highlighting the platform's ongoing efforts to maintain a safe and appropriate environment for its users.

Extent of Removals

Globally, YouTube has deleted more than 9 million videos during this period, with India leading in the number of removed videos. Bangladesh ranks eighth in terms of the volume of videos removed. Additionally, over 20 crore YouTube channels were removed worldwide, signifying a widespread crackdown on content that violates the platform's policies.

Reasons for Removal

The primary reasons for video removal were identified as promoting extremism, nudity, spam, and non-child-friendly content. Harmful or dangerous content, constituting 39.2% of removals, topped the list of policy violations. This was followed by content posing risks of inciting violence or immediate harm (32.4%) and videos concerning the safety of children (7.5%).

Content Moderation Mechanisms

YouTube employs a combination of human moderators and machine learning algorithms, with AI responsible for 96% of the content removal decisions. The remaining 4% were determined based on complaints or suggestions from general users and members of the 'Priority Flagger Program.' This approach underscores YouTube's commitment to leveraging technology while also considering community feedback in content moderation efforts.

The significant removal of videos from Bangladesh underscores YouTube's dedication to upholding its Community Guidelines and fostering a safe digital environment. By employing advanced technology and incorporating user feedback, the platform continues to combat harmful content effectively. This proactive stance against policy violations reaffirms YouTube's role as a responsible steward of online content.