LeafyIsHere YouTube Channel Permanently Banned Over Harassment Videos
YouTube has permanently banned the LeafyIsHere channel for repeated violations of the site’s updated policy against creator-on-creator harassment.
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YouTube has recently banned a popular creator in the commentary genre for repeatedly violating the site’s new policies against harassment. Calvin Lee Vail, better know as YouTuber Leafy recently revealed on Twitter that the LeafyIsHere channel had been suspended and asked for it to be reinstated. It was later confirmed that Vail’s controversial channel had been banned permanently.
Before its perma-ban, Vail’s channel had nearly five million subscribers and no shortage of controversy in recent months. As a commentary channel, LeafyIsHere has had infamous disputes with other creators, such as popular Twitch-streamer Imane ‘Pokimane’ Anys. This past June, Vail even tweeted to confirm two strikes from YouTube for violating its harassment policy. While the YouTuber switched all the videos to private in hopes of avoiding that third strike, it didn’t help. YouTube’s community guidelines state that three content violations within a 90-day period will lead to a channel’s termination. Content strikes include videos featuring cyberbullying or encouraging viewers to disrupt the streams of other creators. YouTube’s new creator-on-creator harassment policy was created to combat content from personalities from attacking others.
In a statement provided to The Verge, YouTube confirmed the channel has been permanently banned. While YouTube has yet to reveal what video led to Vail’s permanent ban, there are several possible culprits. Most recently, Vail released a series of videos again targeting Pokimane and her fans, peppered with insults and calls to action from his own viewers to disrupt her streams. Both actions are violations of YouTube’s guidelines. In a recent interview on another YouTube creator’s channel, Vail said that he had not received any notices or warnings from YouTube prior to the permanent ban, and has asked YouTube to make an official statement. From the replies on the YouTube interview, as well as his own Twitter, people are calling Vail out for knowing exactly what he was doing, with many celebrating the fact that he had finally been banned.
The End Of An (Meaner) Era
Anyone who remembers the early days of YouTube in the mid-2000s knows it has come a long way. Through this development and evolution, various iterations and focuses of the site have come and gone. YouTube today is not what it was in 2014, and certainly not the same as it was in the 2010s when a lot of commentary channels began to surface. The site’s granular focus on cyberbullying and creator-on-creator harassment specifically addresses videos from people like Vail, who use their platform to abuse others, many of which profit from the scrutiny and rancor. These policies show promise of a new form of the site, shedding the hateful skin of previous commentary channels, but not everyone is fully supportive. There is still a large community of commentary channels that have taken note of LeafyIsHere’s permanent ban, and are weary of their own future on YouTube.
While many other YouTube creators support Vail’s ban, there are others that are more concerned about its implications. Other commentary channels fear that this ban is just the first in a larger crackdown by YouTube against them and their content. That is partly understandable as YouTube has made it quite clear that this is the type of content it will be targeting, and there are certainly other channels similar to LeafyIfHere that are still posting videos daily. Commentators on the site have a much finer line to walk compared to other channels when it comes to violating community policies, because their videos are specifically dedicated to talking about others.
Here’s what it really breaks down to – YouTube is still a creative and ever-growing community that supports the imagination and free speech of its creators. However, the website, as well as many social media sites, are cracking down on hate speech and harassment everywhere (as they should). Calvin Lee Vail created a successful following by talking about other people, which is not a violation, but he did so by often using foul language and/or derogatory remarks. That form of content is no longer acceptable. So while others in the commentary community might fear a ban themselves, they should have nothing to worry about, if they’re offering constructive criticisms and open topics of discussion pertaining to other’s works, not blatant hate speech or commentary aimed at someones race, gender, appearance or the like. Yes, YouTube has changed quite a bit in recent years, but for the better, resulting in a safer and more inspiring place to share content.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/leafyishere-youtube-channel-permanent-ban/