After over a week of waiting, YouTube offered a vague response to Logan Paul’s controversial video that included a corpse in Japan’s so-called “suicide forest.”
In an open letter posted on Twitter, officials say they were upset by the video, in which Paul can be seen laughing while showing a dead body hanging from a tree.
The “suicide forest” video, now deleted from YouTube, can currently be found on other sites and is reportedly being viewed by millions of people. Before it was removed from YouTube, it had been viewed by six million people around the world.
Paul, who called himself an online jokester, offered apologies after the video was removed.
A spokesperson for Google commented on the situation at the time, but it took a week for YouTube to explain the incident.
“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,” the series of tweets read in part.
“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.”
There were no examples of what further consequences could be.
While the initial “suicide forest” video was not monetized, his apology video is. In layman’s terms, this means that Paul can make money off the apology video.
Paul removed the original video from YouTube, but it can still be found online. In the video, Paul and his group of friends come upon the body hanging in the forest. They call out to him, and Paul asks twice for someone to call the police. (The body’s face is blurred, and the individual has not been identified. The video, titled, “We found a dead body in the Japanese Suicide Forest,” also had a graphic content warning.)
The video-sharing website had previously come under fire last month for not upholding their community guidelines after media reports of child exploitation. At the time, YouTube officials said they were strengthening their guidelines.
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the Canadian Suicide Prevention Service (CSPS), available 24/7, at 1-833-456-4566. For more information on suicide and to find help nearest you, visit the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention.
*with files from Chris Jancelewicz
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