National News

YouTube Removes French Journalist Francois Gautier’s Channel From Its Platform

August 26, 2024
The Commune

YouTube removed the channel of Francois Gautier, a French journalist known for his critical views against Islamists. This action is seen as part of a troubling pattern where platforms like YouTube allegedly enforce their rules selectively, disproportionately targeting pro-Hindu and pro-India content while allowing other controversial material to increase.

Gautier, known for his work with The Indian Express and Pioneer, has had his YouTube channel removed for allegedly violating the platform’s Community Guidelines. Critics see this as a broader issue of biased censorship on social media.

His channel was reportedly removed without a detailed explanation, leading to accusations that the platform is selectively enforcing its rules. Critics argue that YouTube’s guidelines disproportionately target content critical of certain ideologies while allowing the proliferation of other controversial material, such as Islamic propaganda, antisemitism, and anti-Hindu rhetoric.

Gautier, who has been vocal on various contentious issues, particularly those concerning Hindu perspectives and Islamic extremism, is no stranger to social media disputes. In March 2021, Twitter suspended Gautier’s account (@fgautier26) following his criticism of climate activist Greta Thunberg and her associate Disha Ravi. The suspension came after Gautier commented on Thunberg’s leaked ‘toolkit’ and its implications for India, which included allegations of Khalistani involvement against India.

The removal of Gautier’s YouTube channel has sparked a wave of criticism from social media users who claim that the platform’s actions are part of a pattern of censoring voices that dissent from left-wing and ultra-left-wing ideologies. Users have expressed their outrage and called for the restoration of Gautier’s channel, highlighting a broader concern about the uneven application of social media policies.

Biased Action By YouTube Against Pro-Hindu/Pro-India Voices

In September 2023, YouTuber Vinod Kumar faced a similar situation when his channel “String Reveals” was arbitrarily banned on the platform without issuing prior warnings or strikes, citing severe or repeated violations of its Community Guidelines. The String team revealed this action on their X handle, sharing an email from YouTube that explained the channel’s removal was to “protect other users.”

His content primarily focused on promoting Hindu culture and temples. The deletion occurred shortly after String announced a podcast with filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri about the “Toolkit Gang,” which allegedly tried to sabotage India’s vaccine project.

Kumar subsequently took legal action, filing a petition in the Andhra Pradesh High Court, seeking two crore rupees in compensation and the reinstatement of his accounts.

This isn’t the first time YouTube has acted against String; in 2021, it removed a video exposing the Greta Thunberg Toolkit, citing harassment and bullying.

In June 2024, The New Indian journalist Rohan Dua suggested that the platform fostered anti-Modi sentiment. He claimed that recorded conversations of 17 YouTube India employees revealed instructions on how to shadow-ban neutral coverage while promoting anti-Modi content. Dua alleged that this conspiracy affected press freedom and mentioned that among those involved in manipulating the algorithm were 17 employees, including five women and 12 men from various Indian states. He believed this constituted “criminal conspiracy under IPC Sections 127A, 120B, and 171B/R bribery charges.”

 

Ajeet Bharti reported on X that YouTube had demonetized 35 of his videos over the past 45 days and re-monetized 32 after appeals. Despite these re-monetizations, the delays resulted in zero revenue during peak election periods. “They were wrong 32 out of 35 times during the peak election period,” Bharti noted.

YouTuber Aaj Ki Taza Khabar (AKTK), with 1.44 million subscribers, has accused YouTube India of shadow-banning and demonetizing his content whenever he mentions left-leaning figures like Ravish Kumar, Dhruv Rathee, or Rajdeep Sardesai. On 21 August 2024, AKTK shared a video on his X account demonstrating how YouTube’s algorithm allegedly restricts monetization based on these names. He revealed that a video titled “Operation ‘Save Mamata’ by Andh Namazi Gang” was fully monetized, but when he changed the title to include the names “Ravish-Dhruv-Rajdeep,” the video was swiftly demonetized, with ad suitability restrictions applied. Reverting to the original title restored full monetization.

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