Some Googlers are reportedly fearful of speaking out against YouTube's decisions about Steven Crowder's channel because they're worried their colleagues will retaliate
- Google employees are angered by an episode around YouTube's policies this week, but say they're afraid to speak up for fear of retaliation from the company and their conservative colleagues, according to a report by the Verge on Friday.
- The issue at hand: YouTube's decision to demonetize the channel of popular star Steven Crowder, who made repeated derogatory remarks about Vox journalist Carlos Maza, after initially deciding that it would take no action.
- One employee told the Verge they feared speaking out against the company's handling of LGBTQ matters over concerns of being doxxed by their colleagues - a practice of putting personally identifiable information about someone online with the intent of stirring up harassment against that person.
- Read the Verge's full report here.
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Some employees at Google are angered by decisions made by YouTube this week, but say they're afraid to speak up for fear of retaliation from the company and their colleagues, according to a report by the Verge on Friday.
"It's not safe for us," one employee told the Verge. "We need to look out for our jobs, our personal safety, and our families."
The concerns surfaced after YouTube decided to demonetize conservative commentator Steven Crowder this week for his repeated derogatory remarks about Vox journalist, Carlos Maza.
Initially, YouTube said Crowder's language - which referred to Maza as a "lispy queer" and a "gay Latino" - did not constitute a violation of its policies, and that the videos would remain up. However, a day later, YouTube said that it was "suspending" Crowder's ability to make money from his channel.
One employee who spoke to the Verge said they feared speaking out against the company's handling of this and other LGBTQ matters over concerns of being doxxed by their colleagues - a practice of putting personally identifiable information about someone online with the intent of stirring up harassment against that person.
In early 2018, Wired reported that some Google employees were doxxing colleagues who spoke out in favor of diversity, especially those who were queer or transgender.
The Verge report also indicates that those employees are concerned about recent allegations that Google retaliated against two of the main organizers of November's Google Walkout. While Google denies those allegations, one of those organizers, Claire Stapleton, publicly announced on Friday that she has left the company over fears that she would face reprisal in the workplace.
Google did not comment on employee concerns raised specifically in the Verge's report, but reiterated its policy on retaliation to Business Insider on Friday.
"We prohibit retaliation in the workplace and publicly share our very clear policy. To make sure that no complaint raised goes unheard at Google, we give employees multiple channels to report concerns, including anonymously, and investigate all allegations of retaliation," a spokesperson said.
Read the Verge's full report here.
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