YouTube Rejects Request to Remove Anti-Asian Hate Song

Song 'Meet the Flockers' Contains Content Inciting Crime in Asian Residential Areas
YouTube "Guarantees Freedom of Expression"... Employees "Cannot Justify Anti-Asian Hate"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] It has been revealed that YouTube refused employees' requests to remove anti-Asian hate songs posted on its video platform. As indiscriminate assaults against Asians continue in the U.S. following the Atlanta Korean shooting incident, voices warning against anti-Asian hate are growing louder, raising concerns that YouTube's actions may spark another controversy.

According to Bloomberg News on the 30th (local time), YouTube employees recently requested the company to remove the music video for "Meet the Flockers," but executives rejected the request. The song, released in 2014 by American rapper YG, is known to contain content encouraging crimes targeting areas where Chinese Americans reside.

As opposition to anti-Asian hate has increased in the U.S., YouTube employees voiced the need to remove the "Meet the Flockers" video. They submitted a removal request to the Trust & Safety team, a dedicated group managing hate-related content on YouTube.

However, on the 22nd, the Trust & Safety team sent an email to employees rejecting the request. The company cited freedom of expression as the reason for denying the removal. In the email to employees, YouTube stated, "This song appears to contain content that is hateful toward Asians," but added, "Removing this video could set a precedent requiring the removal of all similar types of videos, so we have decided not to remove it."

Additionally, a town hall meeting was held on the 25th to discuss countermeasures among executives and employees regarding the issue, but the meeting reportedly ended without any significant outcome. Bloomberg News reported that an employee who attended the meeting posted on the internal intranet, saying, "I did not hear any satisfactory answers from the company during this town hall."

Moreover, an explanation given by a YouTube executive during the meeting sparked further controversy. The executive said, "My wife is also Asian," asserting that he had no intention of harboring anti-Asian sentiments. In response, one employee criticized, "The fact that your wife is Asian has nothing to do with this issue," and another pointed out, "The fact that my wife is Asian does not justify allowing the posting of videos that promote hate against Asians."

Beyond the stated reason of protecting freedom of expression, there is analysis suggesting that YouTube's intention also includes securing its revenue. Bloomberg News interpreted that "music videos are one of YouTube's main sources of revenue," and that the reason YouTube did not remove the 'Meet the Flockers' video is directly related to revenue considerations.

Meanwhile, according to YouTube, over 97,000 hate-related videos were removed during the fourth quarter of last year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.