LOS ANGELES — YouTube removed on Wednesday an episode of the “Holly Randall Unfiltered” industry podcast, an interview with Reason magazine journalist Elizabeth Nolan Brown debunking myths spread by anti-sex work activists, mainstream media and politicians about sex trafficking.
YouTube informed Randall the content had been removed due to a supposed violation of its policies against “harmful conspiracy theories.”
Randall appealed the removal and YouTube quickly dismissed the appeal, claiming it had reviewed the content “carefully, and have confirmed that it violates our policy on harmful conspiracy theories. We know this is probably disappointing news, but it’s our job to make sure that YouTube is a safe place for all.”
The Google-owned platform informed Randall that they “won’t be putting your content back up on YouTube.
Incredibly Disappointing
Randall told XBIZ she is “incredibly disappointed that YouTube decided to remove my interview with Elizabeth Nolan Brown, a respected journalist who I was so thrilled to have on my show.”
The fact they claimed their thoughtful conversation endorsed “harmful conspiracy theories,” Randall noted “just once again demonstrates an anti-sex work rhetoric that continues to dominate mainstream media.”
YouTube consistently platforms anti-porn, anti-sex work, pseudo-scientific and religious attacks against sex workers and the adult industry without flagging its lack of factuality. One controversial anti-porn TEDx talk with millions of views, which has been criticized by its use of scientific language to support the notion of “porn addiction,” for example, continues being shown by YouTube above a disclaimer by the TEDx organizers distancing themselves from the content.
The podcast’s description of the episode notes that Nolan “is a senior editor at Reason magazine and a journalist who has written extensively on sex trafficking. In this episode she exposes some of the inaccurate statistics being shared on social media, and how hysteria and conspiracy theories have resulted in bogus police busts, racial profiling, and ultimately hurting legitimate sex workers.”
An excerpt of Randall’s conversation with Nolan Brown debunking “sex trafficking” myths can still be found on the platform here.
An audio-only version of the “Holly Randall Unfiltered” episode featuring Nolan Brown can be heard here.
XBIZ has contacted YouTube/Google for comment.