Blurred boundaries between prominent YouTube stars and their viewers can put young people at risk, a leading children’s charity has warned, reports the BBC.
Emily Cherry, of the NSPCC, said YouTubers had a “responsibility” to make sure relationships with young fans were appropriate.
Claims of inappropriate behavior have been made against a small number of Internet personalities. YouTube has said that educating fans and creators was key.
Cherry warned that online stars have huge power and influence on young people and the way they think about the real world.
“One child told me that checking their social media accounts and what their favorite YouTube stars are up to was as important to them as eating,” she said.
In 2014, Ania Magliano-Wright published a video in which she alleged a YouTube video-maker known as VeeOneEye — real name Jason — of sexually abusing her when she was 15.
YouTube said content creators were responsible for their own “content and conduct” on the platform.
“As a company we have very clear community guides which set out the rules of the road on YouTube,” said the website’s spokeswoman Thea O’Hear.
“It’s really important that creators are aware of the responsibilities that come with having a big audience and a global fan base.
O’Hear said educating fans and creators was “best delivered” through a mixture of YouTube’s company values, support, and physical literature.
“We also try to provide practical support and guidance to creators to help them create the right kind of content and have the right kind of interaction with their fans.
“It’s also around parents being involved, and schools, and everybody having a really good understanding of what it is to be a young person in the 21st Century.
“We at YouTube are also growing with the community. Often we create tools in response to community feedback.
“YouTube would terminate the channel of someone who has broken our guidelines.”

Source: Arab News