A week after internet star Logan Paul shared a video which caused a social media firestorm by apparently showing a suicide victim in a video, YouTube has released a statement that said the company was "upset" by the content of Paul's post.
"Many of you have been frustrated with our lack of communication recently. You're right to be. You deserve to know what's going on," YouTube said in a series of tweets.
"Like many others, we were upset by the video that was shared last week. Suicide is not a joke, nor should it ever be a driving force for views."
"The channel violated our community guidelines, we acted accordingly, and we are looking at further consequences," YouTube added.
"It's taken us a long time to respond, but we've been listening to everything you've been saying. We know that the actions of one creator can affect the entire community, so we'll have more to share soon on steps we're taking to ensure a video like this is never circulated again."
The video from Japan's so-called "suicide forest," Aokigahara, was removed hours after it was posted. Paul's account, however, has not been taken down or suspended.
Paul apologised for the video as controversy grew, calling it a "severe and continuous lapse in my judgement," and tweeted on January 3 that he was "taking time to reflect".
If you are struggling mentally contact lifeline crisis support and suicide prevention on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au.
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