YouTube Says Restricting Access To Movies Over Sensitive Content Is Not Censorship

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd April, 2021) Actions taken by video hosting YouTube to restrict access to films with sensitive content are not tantamount to censorship, Marco Pancini, the head of YouTube's public policy in Europe, the middle East and Africa, said in an interview with Russian newspaper Kommersant published on Friday.

The Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, IT and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) has repeatedly pointed to restrictions that YouTube imposes on access to certain video content. Last fall, the watchdog sent several letters to Google, demanding that it stopped censoring videos published by Russian media, including a documentary about the Beslan tragedy in 2004.

Pancini said that the restrictions did not relate to bias or censorship, noting that YouTube respects and appreciates cultural and historical content. However, the video hosting has a responsibility to protect younger users from violent and sensitive footage, therefore access to some videos is restricted.

Commenting on the incident with the "Beslan" movie, the official said that there should be a warning at the beginning of the movie, as the content was sensitive for some groups of users and could shock some viewers. At the same time, despite restricted access, the video remains available for adults.