Google is not coordinating with Israel to ‘monitor’ Palestinian videos

Reports that Google and YouTube came to an agreement with Israel to monitor Palestinian videos were false, according to a Google spokesperson.

“Following media reports about a meeting last week between Google / YouTube executives and the Israeli Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, we wanted to clarify that this meeting was one of many that we have with policymakers from different countries to explain our policies on controversial content, flagging and removals,” a Google spokesperson told Palestine in America (PiA).

“Israeli Ministry for Foreign Affairs has corrected its original announcement which, in error, suggested there had been an agreement with Google to establish ‘a mechanism to monitor online materials.’”

Following a meeting between Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely, Youtube CEO Susan Wojcicki and Google’s Director of Public Policy Jennifer Downes, Hotevely was attributed in saying an agreement had been reached. You can read Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ modest correction here.

“We rely on the YouTube Community to flag videos that they think violate our Community Guidelines. Video flagged on YouTube is reviewed 24 hours a day and, if material violates our policies, it is removed quickly. The policies are explained here and here in more detail on the YouTube policy center,” Google’s spokesperson added.