YouTube has blocked North Korea’s state television channel, which broadcasts news on everything from nuclear tests to Kim Jong Un’s outings, to avoid breaching U.S. sanctions against the regime.
The action was apparently taken not because of the content in the channel but because the North Korean government could earn money from YouTube through advertising.
“This account has been terminated for violating YouTube’s Community Guidelines,” a message on the
Korean Central Television channel’s page reads.
YouTube’s
community guidelines ban videos that include violent, sexual or harmful content, or breach copyright. Google, YouTube’s parent company, also asks users to flag content that may
violate the law.
Google apparently blocked the channel last month to avoid violating sanctions, but the company has declined to comment.
