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YouTube removes North Korean channels from its platform
Three YouTube channels associated with North Korea’s state media have been taken down following a request from South Korean regulators.
Three YouTube channels associated with North Korea’s state media have been taken down following a request from South Korean regulators. The channels featured young English-speaking women, including an 11-year-old girl, who presented themselves as vloggers offering an unfiltered view of daily life in North Korea.
Meanwhile, the decision to remove the channels was made to comply with U.S. sanctions and trade compliance laws related to North Korea. The Korea Communications Standards Commission blocked the channels in South Korea, stating that the content promoted the North Korean government and displayed a positive bias towards it.
Additionally, the commission also requested Google, YouTube’s parent company, to remove the accounts. Analysts believe that the channels are connected to state media and that independent production and distribution of such content would be impossible in North Korea’s tightly controlled environment.
Furthermore, North Korea-related Twitter accounts have been blocked in South Korea due to legal demands. However, some researchers argue that the removal of these accounts limits access to information about North Korea and its media.