YouTube under fire for prejudiced actions against cryptocurrency-based channels
YouTube has banned another cryptocurrency-related channel from its platform due to alleged violations of the platform’s community policies.
Altcoin Daily is the latest victim in YouTube’s stance against digital currencies as the channel, with 214,000 subscribers, was terminated for “encouraging illegal activities.”
Altcoin Daily is run by crypto community members and brothers Aaron and Austin Arnold. The channel is popular for its daily videos regarding crypto news, market analysis, education, perspective and opinion. The channel further identifies itself as Bitcoin fundamentalist, and propagates a “free market” approach to the greater cryptocurrency space.
According to a July 31 tweet by Altcoin Daily, the channel was terminated by YouTube for “violating a community policy”.
“YouTube has just terminated our channel claiming that we were “encouraging illegal activities”! We are a news/opinion channel! We have never promoted anything illegal!” the brothers stated. They further revealed that a review appeal has been submitted to YouTube and requested their 27,700 Twitter followers to request reinstatement of the channel from YouTube using hashtags such as #FreeAltcoinDaily.
After more than two days of the channel being completely inaccessible to subscribers, the official Twitter handle of the channel reported that Altcoin Daily was reinstated. “Altcoin Daily is back!!! Thank you #crypto community for your massive support! It truly did not go unnoticed,” the tweet said.
However, it has not always ended well for crypto channels being targeted by YouTube. In December 2019, YouTube aggressively deleted videos with content based on cryptocurrency. Popular channels on the platform with tens of thousands of subscribers or more, including Bitcoin enthusiast Chris Dunn’s, were removed. US businessman Robert Beadles’ page was removed entirely. YouTube then referred to some of these bans as “an error” during the review process.
The platform terminated the official channel of cryptocurrency news-focused website Bitcoin.com for “a violation of YouTube’s Terms of Service” in June. The channel was reinstated and its 40,000 subscribers were restored after two days. Tone Vays and BTC Sessions, a blockchain-based YouTube channel were other crypto-based content creators whose channels were shut down.
