Here’s How PragerU Found out YouTube Was Censoring Its Conservative Videos

October 26, 2017

WRITER

PragerU is an educational site that sums up conservative ideas in concise, shareable videos. The problem? YouTube has been arbitrarily marking PragerU videos as inappropriate content and blocking them from generating ad money.

“What they have done is truly remarkable, and they make these 5-minute educational videos,” Glenn said. “You can’t tell me that they are inaccurate; they are done by some of the greatest minds alive today, and they are now being censored on YouTube.”

Dennis Prager Talks Google, YouTube Lawsuits Over ‘Ideologically Driven Censorship’

PragerU CEO Marissa Streit spoke out about the dangers of online censorship on today’s show. At first, PragerU thought there was simply a mistake since the videos don’t contain pornographic or inflammatory content that would be flagged in YouTube’s guidelines.

She said PragerU first noticed the problem when college students who enjoy their educational videos reached out to say that their school’s internet had blocked the clips.

“The students were the ones who told us, ‘We can’t reach the videos,’” she said.

This article provided courtesy of TheBlaze.

GLENN: You know, I would -- I would like to -- I'd love to have -- boy, I've never used this word before in a positive. I'd really like to have a symposium sometime next year with some of the best minds in the country. Not only the conservative minds, but also the futurist minds, on how does -- how do you -- how do you get a message out?

I think the days of people like me are numbered. I -- I worry. And it has changed in the last six months. And -- and things are becoming more and more clear on the railroad lines that have been laid by companies like Google, YouTube, Facebook, and even Apple is poised to get into it.

How do we -- how do we pay for news? How do we do news? How do we deliver news, when these companies can just wash you out? People are not talking about the fact that Google has hired its -- this is a quote, its first 1,000 journalists, end quote.

They are going to provide news. And it's going to come all through them. And if they don't like you, you're not going to see it. It won't be -- I mean, it will be on some dot-com. But how do you find it?

It's already beginning. You know, we are going to be doing a special next -- probably after the first of the year, about Media Matters. And I want to show you how Media Matters is operating, and how they are already at places like Google and YouTube. This is -- in their own words, they're already there, telling them who should be dropped and who is -- who has an opinion that is important. And who has an opinion that isn't important. Which is offensive? What isn't?

You want Media Matters deciding that? Because that's who Google and YouTube are now listening to. Which brings me to a story yesterday that we talked about.

And if you have any money, and you are looking to help somebody learn and gain some knowledge in a -- in a very effective way, I want you to make a donation to Prager University. Prager University is -- Dennis Prager, what he has done -- and his team is unbelievable.

And what they have done is truly remarkable. And they make these five-minute educational videos, that, look, if you have a different opinion, you may not like it because they're very effective.

But you can't tell me they're inaccurate. They're done by some of the greatest minds alive today. And they are now being censored on YouTube and being demonetized, which means you can't -- they can't make money on them.

Now, here's the thing, they operate on donations because I don't know how many thousands of dollars each of these videos cost. But they're not cheap to make. And so they have been making them on donations, because they -- they can't rack up the views like the Young Turks did, who are complete conspiracy theorist guys. Completely discredited. And yet, they'll sell for a billion dollars.

Prager U is never going to be able to cash out at a billion dollars. No company is ever going to buy Prager U. We can't eat our own. And we must support our own. And Prager University, I can't recommend highly enough that you support them in every way possible, even if it is just spreading their video.

So they have now -- they have now filed a lawsuit on Monday against YouTube. And who do we have on, Stu?

Marissa Street? She's the CEO. I love this woman. So smart. From Prager U. Hi, Marissa, how are you?

MARISSA: Hi, Glenn. Thank you for this. An amazing introduction. I can't tell you how encouraging it is to have good people like you on our side. Well, thank you.

GLENN: Well, I have been watching you and cheering you from the sidelines for a long time. And I want to do everything I can. And I've already pledged to you that Mercury One is going to give you a percentage of everything that we raise for education. Because I think you guys do unbelievable work.

So, Marissa, tell me what is happening at YouTube.

MARISSA: So I'll tell you something really interesting, how we heard about this, to begin with. About a year and a half ago, we got some emails from students. You know, we have this student group called Prager Force, they're essentially our ambassadors on campuses across the United States. And they started emailing in, hey, what's going on? We've been watching your videos. We use them on campus. But for some reason, we can't watch them. When we get to the library, we've been wanting to share them with some other students. And we couldn't figure out, what was the issue? Why aren't they able to reach -- see these videos? So as we looked into it, we figured out that our videos are being restricted. And they're being restricted from the exact audience that needs these videos more than ever. So the students were the ones who told us, you know, we can't reach the video.

So we started looking into it. And we sent a few emails to Google and say this must -- we said, this must be a mistake. Why would our videos be -- be censored?

We read through the guidelines. The guideline that said that videos that are censored are usually pornographic and graphic, and hate speech, and -- and violent. Obviously, anybody in their right mind would watch our videos and agree with us, that these videos are none of the above.

So we started looking into it further. We heard crickets from YouTube for almost a year, until we launched a petition this past summer and got close to 300,000 signatures. At that point, YouTube finally responded to us and said that they're reviewing our videos. And we have this in writing, by the way. They review our videos, and they deemed them inappropriate and only appropriate for mature audience. So the very audience that we're trying to reach is essentially blocked from reaching our videos.

GLENN: Okay. So the audience can get a handle on this. These are the same kind of people that say that we have to teach about transgenderism to our kindergarten classes. Yet, students in college cannot handle -- why isn't communism as hated as Naziism? Or the Ten Commandments. Thou shalt not kill.

You can't handle that. But a kindergartener can handle transgenderism. I don't understand it.

MARISSA: Yeah. Exactly. I mean, that is -- that is our exact point. And that's the point that our students and our viewership was making.

So, you know, we can't allow the left to take over the university -- to take over the internet as they have done with the university. If we lose the internet, which is obviously the -- the way people get information these days, then -- then what's left?

GLENN: Yeah. This is -- this is the new Hollywood. I mean, I think -- for instance, Facebook, I think is replacing -- is a replacement for the telephone, the television, the newsroom, talk radio. It's -- it's all forms of communication that we have had. And if you lose in Facebook and you lose with YouTube and Google, you're never going to be found. You're never going to be found.

Do you know, Marissa, we have an internal -- bunch of internal documents from Media Matters, where they say they are already in-house at YouTube and Google, advising them on what should be cut and what should remain. Were you aware of that?

MARISSA: I'm certainly not surprised. I mean, from the way that he's been dealing with us, it's -- it's not a surprise to me, that they have -- and, by the way, it's complete hubris as well. They believe that they can get away with it. They believe that people on our side won't fight.

GLENN: So, Marissa, what should people do? I know you filed a lawsuit. But what should people do?

MARISSA: So, first of all, we are fighting Goliath. And we know it. Suing Google, slash, YouTube weighed very heavily on us. Obviously, was a very big decision, but we decided that we have to do. And we'll take any help we can get.

So we have a petition, which obviously brought some awareness to YouTube. And a willingness to at least communicate with us, if you can sign the petition on our website at PragerU.com. That would be immensely helpful. And share it with other people. This specific case is going to be tried in the court of public opinion, as well as in the court of law. And we need you to help us win the public opinion and bring awareness.

If you think about the word "Google," people think they can -- they use it as a verb, right? You can Google anything and find anything. But that is not the case. And the public should be aware of that. So we want everybody talking about that. And, of course, financially, this is not going to be inexpensive. So anybody who can help us in any way -- and, by the way, even $5 shows me and my team that we're not in this alone. So anybody who can give anything at any level is -- is hugely encouraging, and we need anything we can get.

GLENN: Marissa, I thank you so much. And your team is truly remarkable. And -- and I would go to work for you any day of the week. I think you guys are remarkable. And I'd be proud to be an intern there with the people that you have assembled. I'm sincere. I think you've created something really, truly remarkable. And you're making a difference. And I thank you for that. Thanks, Marissa.

MARISSA: Well, God bless you. Thank you.

GLENN: You bet. PragerU.com.

Now, if you're a student, you cannot Google this, if you're using -- if you're at a university. You can't Google this and find it. This is the problem.

If you are not a student, I want you just to -- I want you to Google a couple of things. I want you to Google, why did America fight the Korean War? Prager U. And watch that.

I want you to -- I want you to Google, what's the other one? Why isn't communism as hated as Naziism?

Google, the world's most persecuted minority, Christians.

You watch those three things. Those have all been banned now by Google. By YouTube. And you can find them, unless you have settings on your computer that you have set them so your kids can't watch them. They'll never pop up for you. If you're at a university or if you're at a government institution, you will never be able to find them.

But if you don't have any filters, you're going to be able to find it. And I want you to watch those and ask yourself why. Why would those be deleted? Why are those -- with everything you can get on YouTube -- how many times have you walked in, and you've caught your kids online, and you're like, what the hell are you even watching?

How many times have you walked in on the Disney Channel?

I want you to watch those and tell me what you would say if you walked in and your kids were watching those videos? I'd hug my kids.

Google them. And then do everything you can to support Prager U. PragerU.com.

The case for mass deportation

NurPhoto / Contributor | Getty Images

Unchecked illegal immigration into America may be the most dangerous issue our country faces today, and with every day it goes unsolved, the risk of a terrorist attack of 9/11 proportions only increases.

Despite the risk, we can't even touch the subject without the Left and the mainstream media having a meltdown. Even suggesting that the tide of undocumented immigrants may pose some sort of national problem will quickly get you labeled as a racist, stumping intelligent conversation before it can even begin. But as any right-minded Conservative will tell you, calls to close the border and deport the people who stole into our country have nothing to do with race.

In his most recent TV special, Glenn described in detail what sorts of dangers we have let into our countries, with facts and figures that prove that if we don't act soon we will be in deep trouble. Glenn made it clear: we need to conduct a mass deportation or risk being torn apart from within. Here are three reasons that make the case for mass deportations:

Islamic terror cells are forming in South America.

Spencer Platt / Staff | Getty Images

Congressional testimony from the Committee on Homeland Security in 2011 revealed that Hugo Chavez held a "Secret Summit" involving the Supreme Leader of Hamas, the Chief of Operations for Hezbollah, and the Secretary General of Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Caracas, Venezuela. It is clear that ever since (and possibly before) there has been a Radical Islamic Terrorist presence in Venezuela. Right now there is an Iranian beachhead off the Venezuelan coast on Margarita Island, where the Iranian government is running criminal activities and recruiting and training Venezuelan gangs. These gangs have used our border crisis to infiltrate the U.S. The most infamous of these gangs, Tren de Aragua, has been declared a terrorist organization by the State of Texas.

Terrorist-backed gangs are smuggling in weapons and tearing through the country.

John Moore / Staff | Getty Images

What are these Iranian-trained and backed gangs doing in America? As you can imagine, nothing good. Just this year alone an estimated million rounds of ammunition, 1.2 million gun parts, 3,000 body armor vests, and thousands of pieces of other military paraphernalia have been smuggled across the border. On top of that, they have already taken over an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, and are now terrorizing the remaining residents.

It's noteworthy that the gang managed to move into the apartment in the first place because they received subsidies through an NGO that was assisting the Colorado asylum seekers program, using money given to the state by the Biden administration in 2021.

Gangs have attacked military bases.

Lee Corkran / Contributor | Getty Images

It hasn't stopped at apartment complexes either. A leak from the U.S. Army revealed that the gangs have launched probing attacks on military facilities within the U.S. Members have been sighted taking surveillance photos of Lackland Air Force Base, as well as firing multiple shots into the facility. Another military base in Texas, Fort Sam Houston, caught a gang member attempting to gain access to the facility. This coincides with suspicious activity documented within the Permian Basin, the largest oil field in the U.S.

They are smuggling in vast quantities of military equipment, probing and surveying military facilities and key energy locations, and taking over residential areas. What exactly is going on and why isn't the federal government taking it more seriously?

VP debate recap: A Vance victory

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

This might have been the most consequential VP debate in recent memory.

For those of you who missed the debate, it was a decisive victory for J.D. Vance and the Trump-Vance team as a whole. Vance presented a calm, collected, and considerate side of the Republican party that compliments Trump and helps to make their platform more palatable. Meanwhile, Tim Walz had a lackluster, though certainly not catastrophic, night. He had a few embarrassing gaffes and came across as overly nervous, but like Vance, kept it civil.

Both VP candidates entered the stage as relative unknowns to most Americans, and by the end, both men had given an accurate representation of their characters. Here is a brief recap just in case you missed the debate:

J.D. Vance looked great

ANGELA WEISS / Contributor | Getty Images

Vance came out of the gate swinging, with a stellar opening statement that helped set the stage for the rest of the debate. He delivered a concise yet compelling recap of his life, which framed him as everything Walz claims to be: a relatable veteran from humble beginnings who earned his position through hard work and service. He then went on to deliver a clear and palatable defense of Trump's platform and mission while cooly drawing attention to the failures of the Biden-Harris administration.

Overall, J.D. Vance looked incredibly presidential. He presented himself not just as a capable vice president, but as a strong successor to Trump and as a valid replacement if anything should happen to the former president between now and the end of his hypothetical second term. Vance also successfully dispelled the notion that he is "weird" as Walz called him, and if anyone looked strange during the debate, it certainly wasnot Vance.

Tim Walz's gaffes

Chip Somodevilla / Staff | Getty Images

While Tim Walz certainly didn't have an awful night, he did not stack up well against Vance. Walz had a major gaffe around halfway through the debate when asked to explain the change in his position on assault weapon bans. Walz then claimed that he had befriended school shooters during his time in office. While that was clearly not the intention of what he was saying, it was embarrassing nonetheless.

Another weak moment was when the moderators asked Walz to explain a claim he had made regarding being in Hong Kong during the infamous Tiananmen Square protest in 1989, which has since been proven false. Walz gave a long-winded, rambling answer about taking students to visit China and how Trump should have joined in on those trips, before being called out by the moderator for dodging the question.

Vance fact-checked the fact-checkers

Chip Somodevilla / Staff | Getty Images

One of the conditions of the CBS debate was that the moderators would not fact-check the debaters live, but instead rely on after-the-matter fact-checking. But, CBS couldn't keep to its own rules. While Vance was describing the migrant crisis that has swelled during the Biden-Harris administration, one of the CBS moderators, Margaret Brennan, chimed in with a "fact check." She claimed that the Haitian migrants in Ohio have legal status, to which Vance clapped back by calling Brennan out for breaking the rules of the debate, then proceeded to correct her, explaining that they only had legal status due to overreach by the Biden-Harris administration.

Dockworker strike: Everything you need to know

Anadolu / Contributor | Getty Images

At midnight on September 30th, dockworkers across the East Coast went on strike, effectively cutting the country's import and export capabilities in half.

Don't go out and panic buy a pallet of toilet paper and instant ramen just yet. It's going to take some time for the full effects of the strike to be felt and hopefully, the strike will be good and over by then. But there are no guarantees, and this election cycle could get significantly more insane as we draw near to the election. And even if the strike is settled quickly, it shows growing cracks in our infrastructure and industrial capacity that needs to be addressed if America wants to maintain its global dominance.

Here is everything you need to know about the dockworker strike:

What do the dockworkers want?

Anadolu / Contributor | Getty Images

As with most strikes, pay is the driving factor behind this situation the country now finds itself in. The longshoremen want more pay, and with rising inflation who can blame them? After all, working the docks is hard and dangerous business, and fair compensation only seems... fair. But when you compare the wage of a dockworker, which is around $100,000 to $200,00 a year to the average income in America of $56,000, suddenly they seem significantly less sympathetic.

How much money are they asking for? For most Americans, a three percent raise is considered high, but the unions are asking up to 15 percent, depending on location. On top of that, they are asking for a 77 percent raise over the next six years. The West Coast dock workers recently made off with a 36 percent raise and were considered lucky. These increases in costs are just going to be transferred to the end consumer, and we'll likely see a jump in prices if these terms are accepted.

The other major ticket item is protection against automation. Autonomous ports are quickly becoming a reality, with major ports in China that are capable of handling vast amounts of cargo being run by a single office, not an army of dock workers. Naturally, the longshoremen are concerned that their jobs are at risk of being replaced by machines that can work harder, longer, for cheaper, and without risk of injury.

How will it affect Americans?

Joe Raedle / Staff | Getty Images

Don't panic yet!

It is going to take some time for consumers to feel the effects of the strike and it is possible that a resolution could happen at any time.

Week one should be pretty much business as usual. It might be a good idea to stock up on fruit and other perishables, but there is no need to go COVID-lockdown-crazy yet.

Week two is when you'll first start feeling the pinch. Fresh fruits and veggies will become scarce, along with other imported goods like shoes, toys, and TVs. Prices will start to creep up as the shelves will start to look a little sparse. The supply of tools, lumber, and other hardware materials will also begin to dry up.

By week three, the cracks in the system will really start to show. Entire industries will begin to slow down, or even stop. Factory workers will get furloughed and sent home without pay. Stores will have to ration items, prices will be sky-high, and online orders will come to a standstill. At this point, the strike will have escalated into a full-blown crisis, and even if it was resolved immediately, it would still take weeks to restore everything to working order.

At the four-week mark, the situation will have developed into a national security crisis, and as Glenn describes, a poly-crisis. Small business will be closing their doors, entire brands will be out of stock, and everything that remains will be so expensive it is unaffordable. By this point, the holiday season will be drawing near and there will be a rush on any sort of gift or decor items left. At this point, irreparable damage to our economy will have occurred and it will be months if not years before it can be mended.

While that sounds bleak, with the election just around the corner, it seems unlikely that the Biden-Harris administration will let it get that bad. That being said, their administration has not been characterized by good decision-making and reasonable policy, so there are no guarantees.

What can be done?

The Washington Post / Contributor | Getty Images

The big question is "Why hasn't Biden already done something?"

President Biden, who ran on the image of a blue-collar, union-worker, has been uncharacteristically absent from the issue. Despite his earlier involvement in a train strike, Biden has declared that involvement in union fights is not a presidential issue unless it getsreally bad.

So where's the line? At what point will he step in? He has to understand that an economic crisis right before the election will reflect poorly on Kamala.

Join Glenn TONIGHT for BlazeTV's exclusive VP debate coverage!

Anna Moneymaker / Staff, Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

Join Glenntonight for Vice Presidential debate coverage you do not want to miss!

Tonight is the first (and only) Vice Presidential debate, and it will be hosted by CBS News. But don't be reliant on CBS News or any other mainstream media channel for their biased coverage. Join the BlazeTV live stream tonight to get the uncensored truth alongside top-quality commentary from Glenn and the rest of the world-class panel.

Glenn is joined by Megyn Kelly, Liz Wheeler, Allie Beth Stuckey, Steve Deace, Jill Savage, Dave Landau, and more to cover the CBS News Vice Presidential Debate. Blaze Media subscribers gain access to live chat with the fantastic panel of hosts! If you subscribe today by visiting BlazeTV.com/debate you will get $40 off of your annual subscription with code DEBATE. This is the largest discount ever offered, so take advantage NOW!

See you TONIGHT at 8 PM ET for an event you do NOT want to miss it!

Glenn's Show Prep