YouTube Won't Remove a Live Stream of Boulder Shooting

YouTube hasn't removed a three-hour live stream of the mass shooting that occurred in Boulder, Colorado. As the horrific event unfolded, live video was streamed to thousands of viewers.

YouTube Won't Take Down Graphic Live Stream

YouTube is standing by its decision to allow a live stream of the shooting in Boulder to stay on its platform. Dean Schiller, the man behind the camera, was in the parking lot of King Soopers when the incident began.

Schiller calls himself a "citizen journalist," and began documenting the event as the first shots were fired. The live stream contains graphic imagery of the tragedy that left 10 people dead.

The previously-recorded live stream has since gained over 650,000 views at this time of writing, which leaves some wondering why YouTube hasn't removed this video. In a statement to Vice, a YouTube spokesperson explained why the platform hasn't taken action:

Following today’s tragic shooting, bystander video of the incident was detected by our teams. While violent content intended to shock or disgust viewers is not allowed on YouTube, we do allow videos with enough news or documentary context. We applied an age restriction to the content and will continue to monitor the situation.

YouTube has since added an age restriction notification that appears before the start of the video. This same prompt appears on other potentially inappropriate videos on the platform, and notes that the video you are about to watch may be "inappropriate or offensive." However, users can easily bypass this by selecting I understand and wish to proceed.

YouTube is facing backlash for choosing not to remove the live stream altogether. The video contains extremely sensitive content, including short clips of the attack's victims. Schiller's actions during the video have also come under fire, as some may argue that he was behaving unprofessionally.

While it's true that YouTube's policy allows graphic videos for the purpose of relaying news or educating the viewer, does this live stream really fit that criterion?

Should YouTube Remove This Live Stream?

Although YouTube stated that it will continue to "monitor the situation," it has already let hundreds of thousands of viewers watch the live stream of the shooting. An age restriction really doesn't do much to deter people from watching it either, as users can easily click through the warning.

YouTube may need more specific restrictions on this type of content in the future. After seeing YouTube's response to the situation, it's clear that there's a huge gray area surrounding violent content on YouTube.