Logan Paul video: YouTubers criticise site for allowing star to post footage of dead man

Many other kinds of video are taken offline – but it's not clear YouTube thinks that the controversial footage broke its rules

Many of the world's most famous YouTubers have said the site needs to change the way it works after it allowed a star to upload a video of a dead body.

Logan Paul, one of the site's biggest users, posted a video over the weekend that showed him heading into a "haunted" forest in Japan. While there, he and his friends saw the body of a man who had died by suicide – and proceeded to film and upload footage of the body onto his hugely popular YouTube channel.

The decision has led to sustained and severe criticism of Mr Paul, and an apology from the YouTuber. But many are criticising the site itself for banning many other kinds of content but not taking down the video that showed a man's dead body.

Many said that the site bans other kinds of content, sometimes automatically and apparently without reason, including videos made by people supporting LGBT welfare or discussing mental health issues. But controversial videos by its most popular users often stay up on the site.

"Movie reviewers get their videos demonetized for no reason," wrote film critic Chris Stuckmann. "Logan Paul films the hanged body of a suicide victim and his channel is fine. YouTube... are you for real?"

Sex educator Laci Green claimed that Mr Paul's videos were being prioritised over news events of global importance. "Logan Paul exploiting a suicide victim in Japan to the tune of 6M+ views while YouTube demonetizes students protesting in Iran is a perfect example of what a sociopathic garbage fire YouTube has become," the post, which has been retweeted more than 7,000 times, read. "This industry has no soul left."

Others pointed out that the site is quick to ban videos that use copyright music – which it can detect automatically – but that the video stayed up for hours, even after many people had pointed it out.

Mr Paul not only runs his popular channel but worked with the company to create an original film called The Thinnening, as part of its YouTube Red offering. That is still available for purchase on YouTube, and on Mr Paul's channel.

YouTube didn't appear to have removed the channel, but it had instead been taken down by someone operating Mr Paul's account, according to the error that now shows if a user tries to access it. It isn't clear whether the video would have been breaking any of YouTube's rules if it had stayed up.

The Independent has contacted YouTube for comment and this article will be updated with any response. It did, however, issue a statement through prominent YouTuber Philip DeFranco.

“Our hearts go out to the family of the person featured in the video,” it read. “YouTube prohibits violent or gory content posted in a shocking, sensational or disrespectful manner.

"If a video is graphic, it can only remain on the site when supported by appropriate educational or documentary information and in some cases it will be age-gated. We partner with safety groups such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to provide educational resources that are incorporated in our YouTube Safety Center.”