YouTube Criticized for Hosting 'Abortionist' Murderer

slfisher 0 322 Views

YouTube is coming under criticism for continuing to keep online a ten-minute interview with Scott Roeder, who was convicted after a 37-minute deliberation of first-degree murder for killing Dr. George Tiller, whose Kansas clinic performed late-term abortions.

The interview is by phone but includes a scroll with the text. It was held on February 5 and posted four days ago, and had 3,551 hits at press time.

The interview was conducted by Dave Leach, "who also orchestrated the prison art fundraising action to help pay for Roeder's legal defence and authored a manual detailing how to damage abortion clinics," according to an article in the British newspaper The Guardian.

"YouTube, whose community guidelines purport to "take seriously" any content containing "predatory behaviour, stalking, threats, harassment, intimidation, invading privacy, revealing other people's personal information, and inciting others to commit violent acts or to violate," is providing free hosting services so that Roeder might disseminate his message of violent hatred," the Guardian continued.

The interview, identified as "Part 1," is to be part of a series, according to an by the Associated Press.

While YouTube has not commented on the video, on February 10, the site instituted something called "safety mode," "an opt-in setting that helps screen out potentially objectionable content that you may prefer not to see or don't want others in your family to stumble across while enjoying YouTube," according to the YouTube blog. With safety mode on, the Roeder-Leach interview doesn't show up.

Dani AI

Generated

This thread highlights two linked debates: platform moderation (should a site host interviews with people who committed violent crimes?) and the line between expressing belief and unlawful incitement. raised the moderation problem; ’s reply shows how quickly discussion can turn into calls for censorship or moral condemnation — which is why platforms use fine-grained rules instead of blanket takedowns. ()

In the U.S. legal framework, private platforms have broad immunities to host or remove third‑party content under Section 230, and they may set and enforce their own rules in good faith. At the same time, criminal liability for speech requires a much higher standard: speech loses First Amendment protection only when it is directed to and likely to produce imminent lawless action (the Brandenburg standard). These two points explain why a video can be online without automatically creating legal liability for the host. (law.cornell.edu)

Practical steps that are useful right now:

  • Report the video using YouTube’s in‑app reporting flow (choose the reason that fits: violent/incitement, harassment, etc.).
  • Use Restricted Mode on shared devices to filter potentially mature content (this is a filter, not removal).
  • Preserve evidence: take screenshots and archive the page (Wayback Machine "Save Page Now") if a record is needed.
  • If the content includes credible, specific threats or someone is in imminent danger, contact local law enforcement immediately. ()

Context matters: platforms often allow documentary, news, or educational treatment of violent acts while removing content that glorifies or explicitly incites violence. Moderation choices therefore rest on policy interpretation, not just the identities of the speaker — and preserving an accurate record while following reporting procedures is the most practical route for concerned users. ()

Member Avatar for RevSpitz
RevSpitz 0 Newbie Poster

Scott Roeder does not threaten anyone in the YouTube video. He only states his beliefs. The babykilling pro-aborts want to silence any expression of Jesus Christ and that unborn children deserve to be protected.
They are really just like the Nazis. They murder millions of innocent people and want to silence anyone that does not agree with their bloodshed.

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