Google deletes Press TV from YouTube
Ahmed Kaballo
Press TV, London
In the midst of heightened tensions between Iran and the United States following the assassination of Lt. General Qassem Sulimani.
YouTube the American based video-sharing platform has shut down Press TV UK's YouTube account which is operated from London without warning or justification.
Following a fierce backlash from supporters online. It was temporarily reinstated with YouTube concluding that following their review it was not in violation of their 'Terms of Service'.
Only to be shut down again within 18 hours claiming that had now found, without citing an example, that Press TV UK had violated their 'terms of service'.
Press TV UK spoke to former British Member of parliament and broadcaster, George Galloway, to see what he thought of the debacle.
Some worry that this could be part of a larger trend of silencing alternative voices and media outlets. Last week Facebook-owned Instagram removed a slew of posts that mentioned or praised Soleimani arguing that it was complying with US Sanctions on the Islamic republic.
Tech giant Facebook temporarily being shut down Telesur English's page last year and Former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa's page was permanently shut down. And of course, Julian Assange the co-founder of WikiLeaks currently remains detained in Belmarsh in London, facing charges under the US Espionage Act that could see him imprisoned for 175 years for exposing, what some believe to be, US war crimes abroad.
Which has some questioning how free is the press in this sort of climate?
Press TV UK reached out to YouTube and Google for comment and clarification on the reasoning behind their decision.
At the time of the broadcast, they still have not responded.
Some are speculating that closure of Press TV UK's YouTube account is sanctions related.
If that is the case it would appear US sanctions that violate the JCPOA agreement are now suppressing media diversity in the UK a society supposedly committed to liberal values and a free press.
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