Target: Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube
Goal: Thank YouTube for removing videos of horrifying massacre at New Zealand mosque.
YouTube has removed thousands of videos of the Christchruch mosque massacre in response to public outcry. The shooter had recorded his intentions and manifesto shortly before committing the crime, streaming it all across social media followed by footage of the crime itself. The footage quickly went viral, showing up on millions of social media feeds and timelines and horrifying entire user bases. Several days later, platforms such as YouTube and Facebook have finally removed the offending material.
The fact that twisted, sick individuals use social media to push their hateful agendas is horrifying enough, but the rate at which videos of the shooting circulated through the internet was beyond disgusting. Whether the videos were shown as a harsh reminder of how cruel this world is, a breaking news bulletin, malicious attempts to upset sensitive users, or for shock value by equally sick-minded individuals, the outrage was strong. Petitions such as this one were circulated to demand the removal of such hate speech and cruelty from YouTube.
YouTube and other video platforms have been criticized for their weak policies against hate speech, but the removal of the shooter’s manifesto and all footage of the crime is a step in the right direction. We can only hope that this will be the gateway to stronger policing of hateful content in the future. Sign this petition to thank YouTube for removing these videos.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Ms. Wojcicki,
Thank you for responding so quickly to public outcry by removing videos of the New Zealand massacre from your platform. The video footage of the shooter’s manifesto and the tens of thousands of video streams of the shooting itself are a blight on human decency, horrifying millions of people as they were spread across social media like wildfire. The loss of so many lives should have never counted as viewing material in the first place.
Your website has come under harsh criticism for its weak enforcement of rules against hate speech in the past, so your removal of this violent content is a step forward. We applaud your quick decision to remove all footage of this horrid crime, and hope that this will lead to a stronger enforcement of your policies against such cruelty.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: tymonoziemblewski
260 Signatures