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1427180cookie-checkYouTube Rep Threatened YouTuber Over Difficult European Commission Questions
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2016/09

YouTube Rep Threatened YouTuber Over Difficult European Commission Questions

YouTube outlet Le Corps La Maison L’esprit Laetitia was given an opportunity to interview the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker. However, the opportunity was sullied in some ways by a representative from YouTube who told Laetitia that some of her questions were too “difficult” and that such questions could threaten the future of her YouTube channel.

According to a video by Laetitia, as reported on by Gamertics [via KiA],  the opportunity arose as part of a conversation-starter that YouTube was offering to some French content creators in the same way that Google opened the door for American YouTubers to ask softball questions to President Barack Obama.

You can see the full six minute video below where Laetitia explains what happens and shares footage of the recording of the YouTube representative subtly suggesting that her career might come to an end if she asks certain difficult questions to Jean-Claude Juncker from the European Commission.

If you can’t watch the video or don’t have time to watch it, according to the YouTube representative, he explained to Le Corps La Maison L’esprit Laetitia

“[…] but this, as I told you, I have to talk about it with Natasha [Juncker’s spokesperson]. So there is always a risk that there will be a red flag. A red flag […] we can’t do it.

 

“[…] you’re already asking very difficult questions to Mr. Juncker, you’re talking about corporations’ lobbies, you don’t want to get on the wrong side of Youtube and the European Commission or of the people who trust you… Well except if you don’t care about having a long career on YouTube…”

Laetitia explains later in the video that she was originally picked to interview Juncker because she had worked with YouTube in the past dealing with underprivileged kids.

The video managed to garner a lot of attention and was even featured in some way on a very large YouTube channel called Philip DeFranco, who you might know from earlier reports where his video about a Social Justice Warrior was demonetized.

The individual representing YouTube was not identified in the video. Some have taken the context of the representatives words to only mean that perhaps he was warning her of what could happen if she went through with asking the difficult questions, while others believe that the difficult questions would result in her losing her channel or revenue as punishment from YouTube. Obviously, her channel was not taken down and she did manage to ask Juncker the questions.

In fact, in the video at the top of the article, she explains that she received a new contract and that YouTube wants to continue to work with her. She also mentioned that she did not want to get the YouTube representative fired since his job was only to keep and maintain friendly relations between the European Commission and YouTube.

I reached out to YouTube for comment and if they provide a comment the story will be updated.

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