YouTube has begun censoring videos produced by Prager University, and now the conservative nonprofit is fighting back.
Currently, a total of 21 PragerU videos have been placed by Google under “restricted mode,” which limits access to them for many schools and families in what is intended to be a protection from inappropriate language and explicit adult or sexual content. Based on the nature and content of the PragerU videos—which are educational, generally age-appropriate, and largely composed of simple animation—it’s hard not to conclude that the real reason they have been listed as “restricted” is their conservative perspective.
PragerU, founded by bestselling author and talk radio host Dennis Prager, is open about its ideological leanings, describing itself as a video production group that “spreads conservative ideas and values through the power of social media via five-minute videos that present clear, concise, logical discussions of the issues facing Americans today.” The videos feature experts from a wide range of fields, including political science, economics, foreign policy, philosophy and religion.
In response to the censorship of its content, PragerU launched a petition Tuesday to draw attention to the issue and call for action.
In a press release announcing the petition, the conservative group highlighted the response they received from a Google specialist after filing an official complaint. “We don’t censor anyone,” said the specialist, who added, however, that they do “take into consideration what the intent of the video is” and “what the focus of the video is.”
“There is no excuse for Google and YouTube censoring and restricting any PragerU videos, which are produced with the sole intent of educating people of all ages about America’s founding values,” said PragerU in the press release.
Below is a complete list of the 21 videos restricted by Google:
Why Don’t Feminists Fight for Muslim Women?
Why Did America Fight the Korean War?
Who’s More Pro-Choice: Europe or America?
Why Are There Still Palestinian Refugees?
Are 1 in 5 Women Raped at College?
Islamic Terror: What Muslim Americans Can Do
Men and the Power of the Visual
Israel: The World’s Most Moral Army
Radical Islam: The Most Dangerous Ideology
The Most Important Question About Abortion
Why Do People Become Islamic Extremists?
Don’t Judge Blacks Differently