> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://goodoil.news/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# YouTube Blocks Channel Highlighting China’s Human Rights Violations
- URL: https://goodoil.news/youtube-blocks-channel-highlighting-chinas-human-rights-violations/
- Published: 2021-06-28T04:30:00.000Z
- Updated: 2021-06-27T05:02:30.000Z
- Author: Guest Post
- Tags: Censorship, Free Speech, Technology, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2024-07-17 01:54

**Autumn Johnson**  
[newsbusters.org](https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/free-speech/autumn-johnson/2021/06/25/youtube-blocks-channel-highlighting-chinas-human-rights?ref=goodoil.news)

*Autumn is a practicing attorney licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia. When not working, Autumn enjoys reading, writing, playing video games, and spending time with her cats.*

A video channel dedicated to highlighting human rights violations in China has been [blocked](https://news.trust.org/item/20210625132416-55sa5?ref=goodoil.news) by YouTube.

Atajurt Kazakh Human Rights channel is run by Serikzhan Bilash, a Xinjiang-born activist who has been arrested for his pro-freedom activism several times. Government advisors [warned him](https://news.trust.org/item/20210625132416-55sa5?ref=goodoil.news) against using the word “genocide” to describe the abuses in Xinjiang.

“They’re just facts,” Bilash [told](https://news.trust.org/item/20210625132416-55sa5?ref=goodoil.news) Reuters, referring to the content of Atajurt’s videos. “The people giving the testimonies are talking about their loved ones.”

The channel has been very successful and has [published](https://news.trust.org/item/20210625132416-55sa5?ref=goodoil.news) nearly 11,000 videos on YouTube with over 120 million views since 2017\. The videos feature thousands of people speaking about relatives who have disappeared without a trace in the Xinjiang region.

Reuters [reports](https://news.trust.org/item/20210625132416-55sa5?ref=goodoil.news) that on June 15, the channel was blocked for violating YouTube’s terms of service after numerous videos were reported for violating the platform’s vague “cyberbullying and harassment’ policy.”

While the channel appealed the blocking of the videos and had some reinstated, YouTube did not provide an explanation for its decision.

To protect against further blocks by YouTube, the creators of the channel are backing up its content to Odysee, a website designed to give creators more control. Approximately 975 [videos](https://odysee.com/@ATAJURT:8?ref=goodoil.news) have been moved to the new channel so far.

Meanwhile, YouTube [says](https://news.trust.org/item/20210625132416-55sa5?ref=goodoil.news) the videos were only blocked because they contained personal information.

“We welcome responsible efforts to document important human rights cases around the world,” the platform [said](https://news.trust.org/item/20210625132416-55sa5?ref=goodoil.news). “We recognize that the intention of these videos was not to maliciously reveal \[personal information\] … and are working with Atajurt Kazakh to explain our policies.”

However, Bilash says the platform’s reasoning is just “another excuse.”

“There is another excuse every day. I never trusted YouTube,” Bilash [said](https://news.trust.org/item/20210625132416-55sa5?ref=goodoil.news). “But we’re not afraid anymore, because we are backing ourselves up…The most important thing is our material’s safety.”

“We will never delete it,” Bilash [concluded](https://news.trust.org/item/20210625132416-55sa5?ref=goodoil.news), referring to the channel’s global efforts.

“The day YouTube deactivated our channel, I felt I’d lost everything in the world… the new channel does not have so many subscribers,” he [said](https://news.trust.org/item/20210625132416-55sa5?ref=goodoil.news) of the Odysee channel, “but it is safe.”

**Please share this article so that others can discover *The BFD***.