YouTube limits Logan Paul vlog due to apparent suicide post

The Associated Press</span>
Published Thursday, January 11, 2018 7:53AM EST
Last Updated Thursday, January 11, 2018 9:51AM EST

TOKYO -- YouTube said Thursday it has punished well-known blogger Logan Paul over a video that appeared to show a body hanging in a Japanese forest that is said to be a suicide spot.

The company said in a statement that it has removed Paul's channels from Google Preferred and will not feature him in the new season of the web series "Foursome." It said his new video blogs are also on hold.

Paul earlier announced he was stepping away from posting videos "to reflect" following an outcry when he uploaded images of the apparent body and his reaction to finding it in the forest.

YouTube prohibits violent or gory content posted in a shocking, sensational or disrespectful manner, the company says. It issued a "strike" against Paul's channel for violating its community guidelines after the posting.

The video was viewed some 6 million times before being removed from Paul's YouTube channel, a verified account with more than 15 million subscribers.

A storm of criticism followed despite two apologies, with commenters saying Paul seemed disrespectful and that his initial apology was inadequate.

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An open letter to our community:

Many of you have been frustrated with our lack of communication recently. You’re right to be. You deserve to know what's going on.
— YouTube (@YouTube) January 9, 2018

Like many others, we were upset by the video that was shared last week.
— YouTube (@YouTube) January 9, 2018

Suicide is not a joke, nor should it ever be a driving force for views. As Anna Akana put it perfectly: "That body was a person someone loved. You do not walk into a suicide forest with a camera and claim mental health awareness."
— YouTube (@YouTube) January 9, 2018

We expect more of the creators who build their community on @YouTube, as we’re sure you do too. The channel violated our community guidelines, we acted accordingly, and we are looking at further consequences.
— YouTube (@YouTube) January 9, 2018

It’s taken us a long time to respond, but we’ve been listening to everything you’ve been saying. We know that the actions of one creator can affect the entire community, so we’ll have more to share soon on steps we’re taking to ensure a video like this is never circulated again.
— YouTube (@YouTube) January 9, 2018

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