14 DAY TRIAL // YouTube is again on the first page of the newspapers as The British Stammering Association accused the online video sharing service of making fun of some people who cannot talk and publishing the stammering clips into the comedy section. According to The Guardian, YouTube informed the organization that the clips are not infringing the internal guidelines so there is no action required.
"By categorizing so many videos which feature people who stutter as comedy, I think you prove my point. Tell me, do you encourage your viewers to laugh at people who are blind, crippled or deaf? Are they part of the comedy show too?" Leys Geddes, director of the British Stammering Association, said in a letter sent to YouTube, according to The Guardian. "For many people, particularly youngsters, stammering is not a joke - we need to ensure that help and support is given as early as possible and, most of all, we need to educate the public to understand the impact it has on people for the whole of their lives," a supporter of the association added.
YouTube cannot be blamed for publishing the videos on its page because users have this power and, as long as they are not infringing the service's terms of use, there is not much to do to block the clips. However, the online video sharing service can be criticized for including them into the comedy section because many people click on them thinking they might find something laughable inside.
YouTube was acquired by the super giant Google in October 2006 when the Mountain View company paid no less than $1.65 billion. Since then, YouTube grew up a lot and became the main technology hosting homemade clips uploaded by ordinary users who have the chance to become famous using a simple click on the web.