By Matthew Russell Lee, New Platform, Patreon
UNITED NATIONS, June 18 – With the large social media platforms like Google and Facebook vowing to use algorithms to prevent terrorist recruitment and for other purposes, the crudeness of results, intended or not, has come to the fore. Google's YouTube is engaged in systematic financial censoring of independent videos about censorship, see below. Now Twitter, with no due process, has suspended Inner City Press' Periscope account for its broadcasting of how the World Cup is watchd at the UN, on screens set up in public areas by the Russian Mission to the UN. On June 18, Inner City Press before its planned broadcasts of the UN noon briefing (on Libya, Colombia and Togo) and on Yemen launched a broadcast of people watching the Belgium - Panama match. Viewers asked Inner City Press to focus more on the TV and Inner City Press declined, saying the purpose is to show how it is viewed and used at the UN. Suddenly the broadcast was cut, and account suspended. This email arrived: "Your broadcast has been disabled in response to the DMCA takedown notice copied at the bottom of this email.
Please note that repeat violations of this policy may result in suspension of your account. In order to avoid this, do not post additional material in violation of third-party copyrights and immediately remove any material from your account for which you are not authorized to broadcast...
Dear Periscope, We write to you on behalf of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (“FIFA”) who owns and/or controls all audiovisual, visual only and audio only rights in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™.
We have noticed that your platform is making available and/or promoting unauthorised digital transmissions of audiovisual content relating to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, the intellectual property in respect of which is exclusively owned and/or controlled by FIFA (the “Protected Content”).
On behalf of FIFA, we hereby assert that your making available and/or promoting of the Protected Content on your Platform is not authorised by FIFA, its agent nor the law and that your activities in this regard serve as a serious infringement of FIFA’s exclusive rights.
Contact Information of official representative:
Jonathan Schmitz
Richard-Byrd-St 31
50829 Cologne
Germany
+49 221 35554 360
Name of the copyright owner:
FIFA Fédération Internationale de Football Association
Description of original work: FIFA Copyright Protected Match Footage" The UN and DCMS have a sordid history, with then-Reuters correspondent Louis Charbonneau citing the DCMA to claim that his complaint to UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric to get Inner City Press thrown out of the UN - which happened - as copyrights. The leaked complaint remains blocked from Search. To Twitter, including a staffer than recruited Inner city Press to be part of a Periscope NYC channel, Inner City PRess immediately wrote: "I am a journalist who covers the United Nations. Currently the Russian Mission to the UN has set up TV screens with the games in three locations in the UN. I was seeking to show crowd reactions. Since I use my Periscope account to report on the UN including a noon briefing in 13 minutes and a Yemen meeting after that, I ask that it be immediately restored. Please confirm." Nothing. Watch this site.
Please note that repeat violations of this policy may result in suspension of your account. In order to avoid this, do not post additional material in violation of third-party copyrights and immediately remove any material from your account for which you are not authorized to broadcast...
Dear Periscope, We write to you on behalf of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (“FIFA”) who owns and/or controls all audiovisual, visual only and audio only rights in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™.
We have noticed that your platform is making available and/or promoting unauthorised digital transmissions of audiovisual content relating to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, the intellectual property in respect of which is exclusively owned and/or controlled by FIFA (the “Protected Content”).
On behalf of FIFA, we hereby assert that your making available and/or promoting of the Protected Content on your Platform is not authorised by FIFA, its agent nor the law and that your activities in this regard serve as a serious infringement of FIFA’s exclusive rights.
Contact Information of official representative:
Jonathan Schmitz
Richard-Byrd-St 31
50829 Cologne
Germany
+49 221 35554 360
Name of the copyright owner:
FIFA Fédération Internationale de Football Association
Description of original work: FIFA Copyright Protected Match Footage" The UN and DCMS have a sordid history, with then-Reuters correspondent Louis Charbonneau citing the DCMA to claim that his complaint to UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric to get Inner City Press thrown out of the UN - which happened - as copyrights. The leaked complaint remains blocked from Search. To Twitter, including a staffer than recruited Inner city Press to be part of a Periscope NYC channel, Inner City PRess immediately wrote: "I am a journalist who covers the United Nations. Currently the Russian Mission to the UN has set up TV screens with the games in three locations in the UN. I was seeking to show crowd reactions. Since I use my Periscope account to report on the UN including a noon briefing in 13 minutes and a Yemen meeting after that, I ask that it be immediately restored. Please confirm." Nothing. Watch this site.
Like many independent media, Inner City Press publishes its coverage and associatedcommentary not only on its website but on a number of third party platforms like YouTube,Twitter, Facebook, Scribd and SoundCloud. YouTube is owned by Google, and like its parent allows publishers to monetize their material with advertisements.
But do YouTube and Google behind it engage in censorship? As Inner City Press began its ongoing ramping up of its fight against the eviction of its shared office in the United Nations while asking questions about UN corruption, it has received a series of e-mails from YouTube that its videos on these topics "cannot be monetized" with ads. Now it is simply done unilaterally and without explanation or action on requests for review. On March 30 Inner City Press covered a protest march about Cameroon or Ambazonia in front of the UN. The resulting 28 minute video, here, was deemed by Google to be "not suitable for all advertisers." Photo here. A request for review, more than two thousand views in, has not been acted on. So, while still pursuing and reporting on the request for review, it's now on Patreon, here. An 11 minute Inner City Press video about Gaza and the UN Security Council meeting later that day, here, was also de-monetized by Google's YouTube. This is neo-censorship. This in mid-November 2017, with the UN still not responding to Inner City Press' petitions, extended to de-monetizing videos of Inner City Press Q&As with the UN about the scandal of UN Deputy Secretary General Amina J. Mohammed having signed thousands of CITES export permits for rosewood already in China, some of it taken illegally from Cameroon. Photo here, where "Not suitable for most advertisers" is slapped on "UN Refuses To Answer DSG Rosewood Racket Qs from Inner City Press, On Bribes, Cameroon Wood?" - and to "On PyeongChang Olympics, ICP Asks What If Missile Test, South Korea Takes Over Briefing Room." And so, for now, we've taken the former to Patreon. In October, Google demonetized Inner City Press' Q&A with US Ambassador Nikki Haley about Cameroon, video here, demonetization here, interviews with people from Southern Cameroons, even footage from a Town Hall meeting by the UN official who has yet to respond to Inner City Press' petition, but we're led to believe will imminently, Alison Smale, bottom of photo here. This is outrageous.On August 28, without even being notified, Inner City Press learned that its videos of its Q&A with the UN about what the UN had done to free Hisham al-Omeisy in Yemen, had been de-monetized by the ostensibly liberal Google and YouTube. More here. This is disgusting.On August 6, Inner City Press received an email denying monetization to interviews Inner City Press conducted with Malaysia's foreign minister, and about French soldiers' impunity for abuse in the Central African Republic, and about migrants, ostenisibly now the UN's big issue under Antonio Guterres: "ICP Asks Malaysia FM Anifah of Israel & French Sangaris Dropped from Report, Migrants in Asia."Not advertiser friendly? On July 17, Inner City Press received an email denying monetization to interviews by Inner City Press, just outside the UN gates, with activists opposing Morocco's crack down in the Rif region - "On Morocco's Crackdown in Rif, ICP Asks UN 15th Time, Nothing, Interviews Outside UN Gates." Now here on Patreon. Inner City Press appealed to Google, which on July 24 wrote back: "After reviewing your video, we’ve confirmed that the content in your video or video details aren’t advertiser-friendly. As a result, your video can’t be monetized. 'On Morocco's Crackdown in Rif, ICP Asks UN 15th Time, Nothing, Interviews Outside UN Gates.' YouTube reserves the right to make the final decision about video monetization." This is censorship. Which type of protest interviews would Google allow monetization of? By which type of interviewers? On July 17, Google denied monetization to Inner City Press' public Q&A i the UN aboutthe Ng Lap Seng / John Ashe UN bribery case (as well as Sri Lanka and Western Sahara): "ICP Asks UN Haq How Sri Lanka Troops Vetted, Of W Sahara Memo, Burundi Camp, South South News."Explanatory Periscope video here. Also on July 16, Google denied monetization to a public Q&A with the UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric about why UN Deputy Secretary General Amina J. Mohammed met with the Clinton Foundation's director of foreign policy Ami Desai on July 14, and if Haiti had come up. Here's the video Google denied monetization to, while allowing it for nearly identical Q&As on other topics: "ICP Asks Why UN DSG Met Clinton Foundation, Haiti, Libya, Ng Lap Seng Case, Then Genocide Adviser."Here is the Google / YouTube email Inner City Press received, "We didn't approve your video(s) for monetization because the content in your video(s) or video details may not be advertiser-friendly. This after Inner City Press asked Google (X)'s Astro Teller about it, here. And while Google News' revamp goes out of its way to relegate independent Inner City Press to inclusion on the front page as to the Ng Lap Seng case, but not many of its African stories. It's disgusting. On May 4, Google issued a final, non-appealable denial on monetization to a video of a UN Q&A about Kurdistan and Sri Lanka: "After reviewing your video, we’ve confirmed that the content in your video or video details aren’t advertiser-friendly. As a result, your video can’t be monetized. "At UN on Countering Violent Extremism, ICP Asks CTED & Iraq NGO of Kurdish Women Fighters, Sri Lanka" YouTube reserves the right to make the final decision about video monetization." Google also said this video couldn't be monetized: "Inner City Press Asks CPJ To Push UN for Press Freedom Rules, HRW's UN Rep Dodges on DMCA Censorship" - after Google gave in to a frivolous request from a then-Reuters, now-HRW rep who claimed his anti-Press email to the UN was copyrighted. (This Louis Charbonneau dodged the question on May 3 at the EU Mission to the UN, here). This is doubly disgusting: Google is denying monetization to a Q&A about its own censorship.So, question: does Google have an algorithm to deny monetization to independent content which criticizes it?
But do YouTube and Google behind it engage in censorship? As Inner City Press began its ongoing ramping up of its fight against the eviction of its shared office in the United Nations while asking questions about UN corruption, it has received a series of e-mails from YouTube that its videos on these topics "cannot be monetized" with ads. Now it is simply done unilaterally and without explanation or action on requests for review. On March 30 Inner City Press covered a protest march about Cameroon or Ambazonia in front of the UN. The resulting 28 minute video, here, was deemed by Google to be "not suitable for all advertisers." Photo here. A request for review, more than two thousand views in, has not been acted on. So, while still pursuing and reporting on the request for review, it's now on Patreon, here. An 11 minute Inner City Press video about Gaza and the UN Security Council meeting later that day, here, was also de-monetized by Google's YouTube. This is neo-censorship. This in mid-November 2017, with the UN still not responding to Inner City Press' petitions, extended to de-monetizing videos of Inner City Press Q&As with the UN about the scandal of UN Deputy Secretary General Amina J. Mohammed having signed thousands of CITES export permits for rosewood already in China, some of it taken illegally from Cameroon. Photo here, where "Not suitable for most advertisers" is slapped on "UN Refuses To Answer DSG Rosewood Racket Qs from Inner City Press, On Bribes, Cameroon Wood?" - and to "On PyeongChang Olympics, ICP Asks What If Missile Test, South Korea Takes Over Briefing Room." And so, for now, we've taken the former to Patreon. In October, Google demonetized Inner City Press' Q&A with US Ambassador Nikki Haley about Cameroon, video here, demonetization here, interviews with people from Southern Cameroons, even footage from a Town Hall meeting by the UN official who has yet to respond to Inner City Press' petition, but we're led to believe will imminently, Alison Smale, bottom of photo here. This is outrageous.On August 28, without even being notified, Inner City Press learned that its videos of its Q&A with the UN about what the UN had done to free Hisham al-Omeisy in Yemen, had been de-monetized by the ostensibly liberal Google and YouTube. More here. This is disgusting.On August 6, Inner City Press received an email denying monetization to interviews Inner City Press conducted with Malaysia's foreign minister, and about French soldiers' impunity for abuse in the Central African Republic, and about migrants, ostenisibly now the UN's big issue under Antonio Guterres: "ICP Asks Malaysia FM Anifah of Israel & French Sangaris Dropped from Report, Migrants in Asia."Not advertiser friendly? On July 17, Inner City Press received an email denying monetization to interviews by Inner City Press, just outside the UN gates, with activists opposing Morocco's crack down in the Rif region - "On Morocco's Crackdown in Rif, ICP Asks UN 15th Time, Nothing, Interviews Outside UN Gates." Now here on Patreon. Inner City Press appealed to Google, which on July 24 wrote back: "After reviewing your video, we’ve confirmed that the content in your video or video details aren’t advertiser-friendly. As a result, your video can’t be monetized. 'On Morocco's Crackdown in Rif, ICP Asks UN 15th Time, Nothing, Interviews Outside UN Gates.' YouTube reserves the right to make the final decision about video monetization." This is censorship. Which type of protest interviews would Google allow monetization of? By which type of interviewers? On July 17, Google denied monetization to Inner City Press' public Q&A i the UN aboutthe Ng Lap Seng / John Ashe UN bribery case (as well as Sri Lanka and Western Sahara): "ICP Asks UN Haq How Sri Lanka Troops Vetted, Of W Sahara Memo, Burundi Camp, South South News."Explanatory Periscope video here. Also on July 16, Google denied monetization to a public Q&A with the UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric about why UN Deputy Secretary General Amina J. Mohammed met with the Clinton Foundation's director of foreign policy Ami Desai on July 14, and if Haiti had come up. Here's the video Google denied monetization to, while allowing it for nearly identical Q&As on other topics: "ICP Asks Why UN DSG Met Clinton Foundation, Haiti, Libya, Ng Lap Seng Case, Then Genocide Adviser."Here is the Google / YouTube email Inner City Press received, "We didn't approve your video(s) for monetization because the content in your video(s) or video details may not be advertiser-friendly. This after Inner City Press asked Google (X)'s Astro Teller about it, here. And while Google News' revamp goes out of its way to relegate independent Inner City Press to inclusion on the front page as to the Ng Lap Seng case, but not many of its African stories. It's disgusting. On May 4, Google issued a final, non-appealable denial on monetization to a video of a UN Q&A about Kurdistan and Sri Lanka: "After reviewing your video, we’ve confirmed that the content in your video or video details aren’t advertiser-friendly. As a result, your video can’t be monetized. "At UN on Countering Violent Extremism, ICP Asks CTED & Iraq NGO of Kurdish Women Fighters, Sri Lanka" YouTube reserves the right to make the final decision about video monetization." Google also said this video couldn't be monetized: "Inner City Press Asks CPJ To Push UN for Press Freedom Rules, HRW's UN Rep Dodges on DMCA Censorship" - after Google gave in to a frivolous request from a then-Reuters, now-HRW rep who claimed his anti-Press email to the UN was copyrighted. (This Louis Charbonneau dodged the question on May 3 at the EU Mission to the UN, here). This is doubly disgusting: Google is denying monetization to a Q&A about its own censorship.So, question: does Google have an algorithm to deny monetization to independent content which criticizes it?
On April 23 YouTube similarly went back todeny monetization to Inner City Press videos about Yemen, Sri Lanka, Armenia, Darfur, the Golan Heights, DRC, Gaza, Ukraine, Qatar, UN censorship. On April 24, Google / YouTube denied Inner City Press' appeal and irrevocably denied monetization to these (compare to longer list below and marvel and the "logic" of this censorship).
After reviewing your videos, we’ve confirmed that the content in your videos or video details aren’t advertiser-friendly. As a result, your videos can’t be monetized.
- "On Yemen, ICP Asks UN Spox of Blocking of Medical Supplies, Who Is Raising to Saudi-Led Coalition?"
- "On Syria, UN Calls Missile "Speculative," Prepares An "Evidence Based Narrative: Video with Captions"
- "After UNAMID Covered Up Darfur Rapes, Ladsous Won't Answer Press Q Why Didn't Say Army There"
- "ICP Asks Yemen PR Of Sa'ada Destroyed by Airstrikes (“Rebuild”), When Reach Sa'ana? (“Few weeks”),"
- "On Syria, Reuters' Charbonneau Insists, "I Have the Mic, Isn't Government to Blame?," Then Latakia"
- "On Syria, Ban Ki-moon Summons Press, Then Has Little To Say, Takes No Questions"
- "UN Won't Say What Ban Discussed with Kerry or if Missiles Illegal Sans UNSC, Won't Name DRC Units"
- "On Luhansk Bombing, June 2 Ukraine PR Denies, Then June 4 Tells ICP of OSCE Web Site Blocked"
- "After Darfur Rapes Denied by UN, ICP Asks Of Any New Investigation, Is Told of Call to Ladsous"
- "ICP Asks Gordon Brown of Sexual Abuse of CAR Children by Sangaris Force, & Of S. Sudan"
- "UN's Darfur Cover Up Report Still Withheld, ICP Asks of Under-Reporting of Deaths in CAR"
- "On Darfur Rapes, ICP Asks UN If Ban To Raise Tabit to Ghandour; Ladsous Met “Nice” with Sudan Dip"
- "In Darfur, Despite Tabit Rapes Etc, Why is UNAMID Cutting 770 Posts? ICP Asks, Here's Response"
- "On Gaza, Feltman Won't Tell ICP If Serry Met Hamas, Qatar-Funded Private Jet UNdisclosed"
- "On DRC, ICP Asks Kobler of Flying FDLR Leader, Impunity for Minova Rapes and General Amisi"
- "On Syria Chemical Weapons Facilities, ICP asks UN Why Sole Source Contract, UN Says Ask OPCW"
YouTube reserves the right to make the final decision about video monetization.
This April 23 email initially denied monetization to:
"As on Syria UNCA President Pushes for No Fly Zone, UN Tries to Ban FUNCA, Other Views"
"As on Syria UNCA President Pushes for No Fly Zone, UN Tries to Ban FUNCA, Other Views"
- "In Iraq, UN Tells ICP Baghdad Is Safe, No Comment on Myanmar Inter-religious Marriage Ban"
- "On Gaza, Feltman Won't Tell ICP If Serry Met Hamas, Qatar-Funded Private Jet UNdisclosed"
- "Ukraine's Sergeyev Says Journalists Didn't Follow Rules, Denies Again Luhansk Building Bombing"
- "ICP Asks of Darfur Rapes & Ladsous Says Reporting Has To Be What It Is- No Military Minders?"
- "After UN's Ban says IDF Soldier Captive of Hamas, IDF Says Killed 1st, No Correction, UN Tells ICP"
- "On S. Sudan, ICP Asks UN of Closing of Juba Airport, If Arms Brought In, ENHAS; Col. Bakosoro"
- "UN Won't Say What Ban Discussed with Kerry or if Missiles Illegal Sans UNSC, Won't Name DRC Units"
- "On Darfur Rapes & UN Document Showing Army Filmed Interviews, UN Says It Won't “Comment on Leaks”"
- "On Sudan, ICP Asks UN Why Parts of Mission in Darfur Closing Despite 130,000 UNverified IDPs"
- "On Rwanda Genocide, ICP Asks UN Why Ladsous Waived Rights After Minova Rapes & For LRA But Not FDLR"
- "On Syria, UN Calls Missile "Speculative," Prepares An "Evidence Based Narrative: Video with Captions"
- "On Syria, UN Won't Answer ICP if Annan in Iran Was Coordinated, Why Photos Banned: FUNCA"
- "Richard Falk Says Dexia's Owners Liable for Settlements in Palestine, ICP Asks Where & of Regulators"
- "UN To Start Shooting in DRC in 48 Hours, Won't Names Units It Supports: #LADSOUS2013"
- "On DRC, ICP Asks Kobler of Flying FDLR Leader, Impunity for Minova Rapes and General Amisi"
- "On Palestine, Ban Ki-moon Dodges on ICC when ICP Asks, FUNCA Censored From UN Transcript,"
- "ICP Asks Gordon Brown of Sexual Abuse of CAR Children by Sangaris Force, & Of S. Sudan"
- "ICP Asked Palestine's Mansour of US Opposition to Draft, Mansour Said Abbas & Kerry Discussed"
- "ICP Asks Yemen PR Who Invited Sudan Troups Into Aden (Hadi) and About ICC Indictment (UNanswered)"
- "On Tabit Rapes in Darfur, Amb Delattre Tells ICP of SC Statement in Nov 2014, But UNAMID Nov 9"
- "On Gaza, ICP Asks Serry If He's Leaving Post in October, & If Board of Inquiry. He: Up to Ban."
- "On Syria's Request UN Probe Khan al Assal, UN Says It Explained, then Re- Explains, Kane Games"
- "At UN, Herve Ladsous Omits Abyei & Golan, Questions UNanswered on DR Congo for Months"
- "ICP Asks Syrian Coalition's Ghadbian of US "Foreign Mission," Arms. He: Pilot like TOW Missiles"
- "On R2P, ICP Asks UN's Dieng & Welsh of S Sudan & Burundi, UN Failure in Sri Lanka and Critique"
- "Israel PR Prosor Speaks on #BringBackOurBoys, Afterward Tells ICP No Draft Press Statement, Nothing"
- "On Syria, Ban Ki-moon Summons Press, Then Has Little To Say, Takes No Questions"
- "On Yemen, ICP Asks UN If Its Envoy was UNaware of Houthis Meeting US UK EU in Muscat, Leaked Email"
- "On Syria Chemical Weapons Facilities, ICP asks UN Why Sole Source Contract, UN Says Ask OPCW"
- "On Bombing of Luhansk Building, UN's Simonovic Tells ICP His Team Not Expert, Maybe More"
- "In DRC, UN OKs Jamming M23 Rebel Radio, Silent on Sudan Hostages and Who's Excluding Press from UNGA"
- "DRC Tshibanda Tells ICP UN Gave Waiver to Work With 2 Generals Against LRA - But Not FDLR, “Ask UN""
- "ICP Asks Yemen PR Of Sa'ada Destroyed by Airstrikes (“Rebuild”), When Reach Sa'ana? (“Few weeks”),"
- "After Ladsous' Cover Ups in Sudan Like DRC & Haiti Have NGOs Telling Ban to Fire Him, UNresponsive"
- "On DRC & Its Exclusive on GoE Report, ICP Asks UN if MONUSCO Counts Blind Among Disarmed FDLR"
- "On Yemen, ICP Asks UN Spox of Blocking of Medical Supplies, Who Is Raising to Saudi-Led Coalition?"
- "On Ukraine, ICP Asks PR Sergeyev of IMF and Minsk, Conditions for Recouping Border Control"
- "On Syria, Lavrov Speaks (Too) Softly, Draft Resolution to All UNSC Members This Night, Sep 26, 2013"
- "Syria Meeting at Russian Mission Sept 11 Was On Chemical Weapons Initiative, Resolution Not Shown"
- "Ban Ki-moon Speaks of Shelling of UNRWA Schools, But Spox Won't Tell ICP If or When Board of Inquiry"
- "After Darfur Rapes Denied by UN, ICP Asks Of Any New Investigation, Is Told of Call to Ladsous"
- "On Darfur Rapes, ICP Asks UN If Ban To Raise Tabit to Ghandour; Ladsous Met “Nice” with Sudan Dip"
- "UN's Darfur Cover Up Report Still Withheld, ICP Asks of Under-Reporting of Deaths in CAR"
- "On UN's “Human Rights Due Diligence Policy,” ICP Asks Simonovic of DRC, FDLR, South Sudan"
- "ICP Asks Matthew Rycroft of Leer in South Sudan, Sudan Troops in Yemen, When UNSC Meets on Burundi"
- "On Afghanistan, Kubis Claims UN Impartial, LOTFA Cleaned, Too Early on SG, Maxwell Case Closed?"
- "When UN Claim It Was Banned from Darfur Rape Zone Is Disputed, Spox Insists UNAMID Is Credible"
- "In Yemen, ICP Asks UN Spox if Envoy Spoke With Groups Who Don't Support Hadi, For Pause, Seems Not"
- "For Update on Accountability for Minova Rapes, UN tells ICP to "Ask DRC," Dodges on FDLR-DRC Links"
- "Ban Ki-Moon Gets & Speaks on 2d Syria Chemical Weapons Report, Declines Q on It & N Korea Execution"
- "ICP asks Israel's Prosor of UN's Feltman, & If New Rapporteur Can Enter; “Meet & Work Together""
- "On Luhansk Bombing, June 2 Ukraine PR Denies, Then June 4 Tells ICP of OSCE Web Site Blocked"
- "On Syria, Sigrid Kaag Tells ICP $10M in OPCW, $2M in UN Trust Fund - But When & Where Report?"
- "On Syria, UN Tells ICP It Welcomes Evidence and E10, Narrative Will Include Witness Statements; DRC"
- "On Gaza, ICP Asks UN DSG Why No SG Outreach to Hamas, Citing Qatar-Funded Jet, Not Needed, -DSG"
- "On Ukraine, UK Lyall Grant calls Simonovic report "forensic" disproving of Russia claims: April 16"
- "At UN on Palestine, Of Settlements & Withheld Taxes, by InnerCityPress.com"
- "Araud Says Sale of Warships Continues & On Syria Draft If US Pilot Downed, He Would Go to ICC"
- "As OSCE Asks Kyiv to Free Journalists, ICP Asks UN, Which Has Contacted No One"
- "Of UN's Report on Its Darfur Cover-Up, UNSC Only Gets Summary, Press & Public, Mere Statement"
- "ICP Asks Palestine's Mansour If Join ICC If No UNSC Reso; He Says Not Conditional, Wants to Join"
- "As UN Flies Gov't Officials to Darfur, In DRC Murky on M23, Nothing on Katanga or Sri Lanka"
- "On Iran, ICP Asks Shaheed of De-SWIFTing, Impact of Sanctions and of P5+1 Nuclear Talks"
- "Amnesty Int'l Says Syria Rebels Shouldn't Be Armed, Yet, of Golden Rule and Censorship at UN"
- "Of Odessa May 2 Fire, ICP asks UN's Simonovic About Probe(s), Journalists Detained by Ukraine"
- "As Syria Bound Truck Resists Search in Turkey's Hatay, ICP Asks UN's Amos, Who Talks Surgical"
- "As UN Says It Protects DRC Civilians, Accused of Shooting Two Civilians Itself, Double Standards"
- "On Syria, UN Tells ICP Sellstrom's Report on Chemical Weapons Pushed from Oct to Early Dec, Why?"
- "After UNAMID Covered Up Darfur Rapes, Ladsous Won't Answer Press Q Why Didn't Say Army There"
- "On Syria, Kaag Re-Pledges Transparency on OPCW Chemical Weapons Funds, Cites Maritime Costs,"
- "On Syria, Reuters' Charbonneau Insists, "I Have the Mic, Isn't Government to Blame?," Then Latakia"
- "Four Days: UN Spox Said Not Aware UN Flew FDLR in DRC, Never Updated, Won't Say When Knew Had Misled"
- "In Darfur, Despite Tabit Rapes Etc, Why is UNAMID Cutting 770 Posts? ICP Asks, Here's Response"
- "At UN Noon Briefing, There Are No Answers, On Myanmar & DRC Army Rapes, Off Stride"
- "On Gaza, ICP Asks Palestine's Mansour of US Ammo Transfers to Israel"
- "ICP Asks Ukraine PR Sergeyev of Grad Rockets by Donetsk, IMF and Ceasefire Positions"
- "On Ukraine, UN Spox Says Restoration of State Control Should Be Peaceful: But, "Surrender or Die?""
- "ICP Asks Palestine & Jordan of US Opposition to Draft, Mansour Says Abbas Spoke with Kerry,"
- "On Yemen & US Drone Strikes, ICP Asks UN If Houthis Have Consented, Spox Says “Details,” Ban UNmoved"
- "On Darfur Rapes, ICP Asks UK Rycroft Of Cover Up as in CAR; He: UN Reviews May Ensure Follow-Up"
The week before on April 17 this list grew to include a simple Q&A with the UN about censorship in Mali, Paul Biya's cut off of the Internet in Cameroon, and refugees in Lebanon, from Syria. Inner City Press uploaded a video and nearly immediately received this: "Thanks for submitting your video(s) for monetization. We didn't approve your video(s) for monetization because the content in your video(s) or video details may not be advertiser-friendly. 'ICP Asks UN of Mali closing 47 radio stations, Cameroon Net Cut, Syria refugees at risk in Lebanon.'" How can Google and YouTube justify this? It is driving content away from them and to, for example, Patreon (here).
Google has, on appeal, said "After reviewing your video, we’ve confirmed that the content in your video or video details aren’t advertiser-friendly. As a result, your video can’t be monetized. YouTube reserves the right to make the final decision about video monetization." This final Ban of monetization applies for example to:
- "On CAR Rapes, ICP Asks UN of #CodeBlue on Commission, Subpoenas, Ladsous, Spox Says “At Some Point""
- "On UNSCParis Attacks Resolution, ICP Asks UK Rycroft of Vienna I, French Delattre of UN Charter"
- "ICP Asked HRW Why Its Yemen Event Is Behind Closed Doors with UN Censorship Alliance, Periscope Here"
- "Libya's PR Dabbashi Says He Was Criticizing the UK, For Saying Only Ansar al Sharia Fighting ISIL"
- "Boko Haram Is on UN Al Qaeda Sanctions List, Chair Quinlan Say: But Do They Have a Bank Account?"
- "Why Were Ban Ki-moon's Remarks on Charlie Hebdo Attack Not In UN Media Alert? FUNCA Asks"
- "ICP Asks UN Why It Says Yarmouk in Syria Is No Longer Besieged, Is Told That's Semantics, UNclear,"
- "UNSC Stakeout on Libya, Press Elements on Extremisms, ICP on Dabbashi, Qs on South Sudan"
- "After US Drops Arms in Kobane, ICP Asks, UN's Ban “Notes” It, Wants in “Broad Context” of Int'l Law,"
- "ICP asks UN Women about ISIS, UN Cover Up of Tabit Rapes in Darfur, Kim-for-Kane Post Loss"
- "On Syria, Churkin Says No Russian Green Light For Turkey, UK Sounds Green, US Power"
- "ICP Asks Ladsous Why Left Chad Troops Die in Mali, Sex Abuse in CAR, Terrain in S Sudan, No Answer"
- "ICP Asks Venezuela FM Delcy Rodriguez About Syria and Yemen, Who Dominates UN DPKO & DPA Posts"
- "ICP Asked Saudi PR of US Criticism of Executions, al Nimr, Here's UK Matthew Rycroft on UNSC Process"
- "On Yemen, ICP Asks UN of US-Made Cluster Bombs Dropped by Saudi on Sana'a, Envoy's One-Sided Visits"
- "On Yemen, ICP Asked Uruguay VM Cancela of Civilians Hit by Saudi Strikes in Yemen, He on Hospitals"
- "ICP Asks UN Spox of Burundi Rapes & Deployments to CAR, No Updates, Peacekeeping & Sri Lanka"
This is the opposite of what Google and similar mega-platforms claim to be doing.Facebook, as another example, talks about flying Internet-distributing drones over Africa. So why haven't they done so over Southern Cameroons in the past 55 days? These platforms should be urged on these issues. On this censorship of the Press by denying or delaying monetization, it seems clear that someone or something has gotten Google's YouTube to do it. We'll have more on this.
Monetization was similar denied for an Inner City Press video about being ordered out of the UN Press Briefing Room for a "French only" briefing by outgoing French president Francois Hollande, murkily arranged by the UN's still holding-over spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
On March 4, monetization not only of Q&As involving Sri Lanka and Ukraine and Yemen has been blocked - now, even a video from inside the UN Press Briefing Room, an exposé of UN censorship. Google's YouTube wrote:
"We didn't approve your video(s) for monetization because the content in your video(s) or video details may not be advertiser-friendly.
This was the "precedent" Dujarric wanted to erase, to claim that Inner City Press standing the principled stand that the UN Press Briefing Room has to be for all, not just some chosen, journalists."We didn't approve your video(s) for monetization because the content in your video(s) or video details may not be advertiser-friendly.
"UNcensored 1-4: Evicted from the UN For Investigative Reporting, by Matthew Russell Lee"" The emails said “Controversial or sensitive subjects and events, including subjects related to war, political conflicts, natural disasters and tragedies, even if graphic imagery is not shown... We depend on our user community to flag inappropriate videos to us for our review.”
Even after appeal, videos whose titles including the word "Nusra" for example are deemed ineligible for monetization.
This is no longer a mis-application of a terrorism screen. This is a pattern at Google, see here.
These are video of questions and answers (sometimes) at the UN, of protests in the streets of New York, etc. Inner City Press has written, to Monetization then to Press [at] YouTube.com:
“The videos you are saying are “not advertiser-friendly” are videos of media questions and answers with United Nations spokespeople and diplomats. They are news. The message sent yesterday and today said “you can request an additional review below” - this is a request for review. Look at the videos: they are Q&As in the UN Press Briefing Room.
This is also a request to be informed if it was any complaint to YouTube / Google which triggered this denial of monetization, and if so if it came from the UN or any[one else.]
I note that Reuters [now HRW], got one of its anti-Press emails to the UN banned from Google Search with a frivolous DMCA filing, here.
Please confirm receipt and review the above and restore monetization, answering the question. Google and YouTube should not be involved in any form of censorship, including the denial of monetization of news footage."
These are video of questions and answers (sometimes) at the UN, of protests in the streets of New York, etc. Inner City Press has written, to Monetization then to Press [at] YouTube.com:
“The videos you are saying are “not advertiser-friendly” are videos of media questions and answers with United Nations spokespeople and diplomats. They are news. The message sent yesterday and today said “you can request an additional review below” - this is a request for review. Look at the videos: they are Q&As in the UN Press Briefing Room.
This is also a request to be informed if it was any complaint to YouTube / Google which triggered this denial of monetization, and if so if it came from the UN or any[one else.]
I note that Reuters [now HRW], got one of its anti-Press emails to the UN banned from Google Search with a frivolous DMCA filing, here.
Please confirm receipt and review the above and restore monetization, answering the question. Google and YouTube should not be involved in any form of censorship, including the denial of monetization of news footage."
Still no substantive answer. So, like at the UN on unilateral decisions to target, evict and restrict particular media, and like some decisions by Twitter to which we will next turn, there is no appeal. (UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who has bragged about the UN's "use" of YouTube, ran out when Inner City Press asked about this, here.) This is UNacceptable. We'll have more on this.
