Black Creators File Class-Action Lawsuit Against YouTube

The suit alleges racial discrimination by the platform's algorithm

Four Black female YouTube creators filed a class action lawsuit this week against the video platform’s parent company,Google, alleging the company and its algorithms discriminate against Black creators by removing their content without justification.

The lawsuit is the latest example of the tensions between YouTube and minority creators, and comes as most major tech companies grapple with their role in supporting racial equality.

The federal lawsuit, filed by Kimberly Carleste Newman, Lisa Cabrera, Catherine Jones and Denotra Nicole Lewis, claims the women have earned less money, accumulated fewer subscribers and have had videos deleted because of YouTube’s racial bias.

YouTube is reviewing the complaint, though its automated systems are not programmed to identify creators based on race, sex or ethnicity, a company spokesperson told Adweek, adding that YouTube goes to “extraordinary lengths” to keep the platform neutral.

Google and YouTube recently pledged support for the Black Lives Matter movement, including the creation of a $100...

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