YouTube Bans Bullfighting Videos

Bullfighting is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France, and some Hispanic American countries. In every event, one or more bulls are baited and then killed in a bullring for the entertainment of the audience. Some would call it a deadly, gory form of public animal abuse. As such, for centuries, people have been arguing about the fine line between calling it “art” or straight up cruelty.

Recently, video sharing portal YouTube has decided to ban images of bulls being killed in the ring after it was labeled “animal abuse”. The online giant closed channels devoted to Spain’s national sport, provoking outrage from fans who said it amounted to censorship and “lack of respect of a much-loved tradition”.

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Following the ban, YouTube confirmed that they’ve removed content in line with one of its guidelines which states, “Don’t post videos showing bad stuff like animal abuse, drug abuse, or bomb making”. A YouTube spokesperson said it reserved the right to remove any video which does not comply with these terms and conditions. However, they would still allow uploads of videos of other bullfighting moments. Just not the bloody scenes.

We don’t blame them though – YouTube is known to preserve its “community” brand positioning, after all.

Since the move to ban the videos, an online petition has started, demanding YouTube to reinstate the channels removed because of their bullfighting content with claims that “bullfighting is art and culture, it is a magical rite of life”.