Blogger Fights YouTube’s Vegan Censorship

Blogger Emily Moran Barwick of Bite Size Vegan has received widespread support from the vegan community following YouTube’s censoring of her most popular vegan video to date. The video is a recording of a speech by Barwick entitled “The Extremism of Veganism: Exposing the Greatest Lie,” a posting that she said “[spurred] a resurgence of views, sharing, engagement, and momentum, which for a 30-minute educational speech on my channel was unheard of, but what I always hoped for.” The video, however, included graphic depictions of life for tortured animals on factory farms, leading to the video being flagged as inappropriate. Despite meeting the website’s standards for educational use, Barwick’s speech was removed from suggested playlists, banned from advertising eligibility, and made so that it couldn’t be viewed unless users had a YouTube account and verified they were at least 18 years old. In a response video, the blogger detailed the ordeal and pointed out YouTube’s hypocrisy in allowing countless violent hunting, butchering, leather, and cooking videos, void of any educational framing. Barwick has been able to successfully garner attention for a relaunch of the video, posted today, with graphic imagery removed. Supporters have pledged to view and share the video in order to send a message to YouTube and to help recapture the momentum of the original video and to continue to make the profound effect it was having on commenters. “This is far greater than YouTube and certainly far greater than me,” Barwick told VegNews. “I never cease to be humbled and amazed by the support I receive. I only hope that this speech can continue to reach people with the truth of what animals experience.”