YouTube Has Addressed Its PMW Issue--But The Problem Remains

First of all, Dr Andre Oboler, Director of the Community Internet Engagement Project at the Zionist Federation of Australia, points out that not all of the videos mistakenly removed by YouTube have been returned:

Three videos remain blocked. "Farewell video before suicide attack of Hamas suicide bomber Adham Ahmad Hujyla Abu Jandal" (formerly at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYdTudQhWM4), "Hamas TV teaches kids to kill Jews" formerly at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwN2M6ZIIRU), and "Jews are a virus like Aids" (formerly at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYaGl3KjPUw).

It appears that YouTube, thanks to exposure of the problem, realizes its mistake. The removal of material was occurred automatically and not by intent. However, the problem occurs with other pro-Israel accounts as well.

Thus, the main problem remains: there are people out that who are manipulating social media behind the scenes--and without debate--to prevent access to certain content:

It seems someone, or some group of new media anti-Israel activists, are gaming the system. They are taking advantage of YouTube’s automated and semi-automated systems to push their agenda slowly through the system. First one complaint, then a second... until eventually the goal is achieved and the channel itself is shut down. Until YouTube can improve the system, and recognise when people are trying to “trick” the system into doing what they want, rather than what it is intended to do, we all have a serious problem. This isn’t helped when YouTube’s manual override is broken and leaves those who have been targeted in a worse position then they were to start with.

For now, YouTube need to find the accounts that are causing these problems and deactivate them. This problem is far greater than Palestinian Media Watch, though the damage done to them must be fixed, and an apology wouldn’t hurt either.

Bottom line, free speech is not promoted by a laissez faire attitude. On the contrary, free speech in fact requires eternal vigilance--something that those involved in social media are slowly becoming aware of.

We hope.

Technorati Tag: YouTube and Free Speech.