Google finally wakes up, wages war against child abuse; blocks vile YouTube channels, comments

Cryptojackers target YouTube to mine digital coins
A 3D-printed YouTube icon is seen in front of a displayed YouTube logo in this illustration taken October 25, 2017 REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Ilustration

YouTuber Matt Watson, earlier in the week, made a video highlighting rampant circulation of paedophilic comments, videos on Google's free video service and brought it to the notice of the search engine giant.

Taking cognisance of the issue, Google has waged a war on the paedophilic community by deleting more than 400 YouTube channels, also tens of millions of videos, comments containing child pornographic content URL links.

In the video shared by Watson, a small search on YouTube can lead a person with just keyword 'bikini haul' into a vortex of vile content on Google's video platform. It doesn't stop there, as several miscreants were making money out of ads using soft core child porno videos. It's really baffling how Google, which prides itself with top-notch security team aided by artificial intelligence fail to notice these stuff. The samples should by Watson are so vile, that any simple machine learning algorithm should have set the alarm ringing in YouTube security team room.

It has come to light there is a glitch YouTube algorithm that once the user watches it by accident or by deliberate, the Google video service goes on to recommend similar contents in thousands.

It's really unfortunate these disgusting contents were not noticed soon enough, but it's better late than never and finally, will end, thanks to the works of Watson.

Google's YouTube and YouTube Creators takes actions against YouTube channels and commentators proliferating child abusePhilip DeFranco(@PhillyD)/Twitter (screen-grab)
Google's YouTube and YouTube Creators takes actions against YouTube channels and commentators proliferating child abuse Philip DeFranco@PhillyD/Twitter screen-grab

Several users who watched Watson's documentary about the sickening content thriving in YouTube complained to Google by using #YouTubeWakeUp on social media platforms. Now, the action has been initiated.

After the reports made headline online, Disney, AT&T and several big brands have voluntarily withheld their ads from playing on YouTube.

Hopefully, Google scales up the security of YouTube to detect and punish predators, most importantly put a stop to the circulation of the child abuse contents on its video sharing platform service.

READ MORE