Following a damaging report filled with several allegations of sexual assault, British comedian Russell Brand can no longer monetize his popular YouTube channel. In recent years, Brand has gone from being an apparent progressive figure to spouting right-wing conspiracy theories, which reached a fever pitch during the Canadian trucker protest over the COVID-19 vaccine.
According to a statement from YouTube, Brand is blocked from capitalizing on his 6.6 million followers who come to his channel for his “wellness” advice and Alex Jones-like conspiracy peddling.
Via NBC News:
YouTube said in a statement early Tuesday that it had “suspended monetization” on Brand‘s channel for violating its “creator responsibility policy.”
“If a creator’s off-platform behavior harms our users, employees or ecosystem, we take action to protect the community,” the online platform said.
To be clear, Brand can still upload videos to his YouTube channel, he just can’t make money from those views. The BBC, however, is taking a different approach. The British broadcasting giant has reportedly begun removing content featuring Brand from its channels and streaming services.
“We’ve reviewed the content and made a considered decision to remove some of it, having assessed that it now falls below public expectations,” a BBC spokesperson said via Deadline. “[The BBC] does not ban or remove content when it is a matter of public record unless we have justification for doing so.”