© 2005 Associated Press(Pictured: The news correspondent of this online newscast expressed support for an Al-Jazeera correspondent charged with collaborating with al-Qaida in 2005.)
By: Akiko Matsumoto
The video-sharing website YouTube will no longer entertain any terrorist training videos thanks to Senator Joe Lieberman.
According to The Associated Press and The Washington Post, Lieberman's criticism that the website was too open to terrorist organizations was taken into consideration when YouTube updated their "Community Guidelines." The new policy bans videos on terrorism training, videos that incite others to commit violent acts, and videos that act as tutorials for activities, such as making bombs.
In May, the Google-owned YouTube removed a few videos after Lieberman requested the company "immediately remove content produced by Islamic terrorist organizations." Many of the removed videos were branded with the logos of al-Qaida and affiliated terrorist groups, but the company refused to take down most of the videos on the senator's list.
YouTube stated in May, "While we respect and understand [Lieberman's] views, YouTube encourages free speech and defends everyone's right to express unpopular points of view."
The tighter restriction suggests a shift in YouTube's stance while counterterrorism officials question the effectiveness of their latest action. Officials argue that less online propaganda would be "good news," but Al-Qaida's strong online presence is not limited to YouTube and online videos have helped investigators to monitor terrorists in the past.
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