Society

YouTube star Logan Paul steps away from posting after outcry

Jan 05 (Japan Today) - YouTube star Logan Paul has stepped away from posting videos following an outcry when he uploaded images of what appeared to be the body of someone who killed themselves in a Japanese forest.

Paul took to Twitter on Wednesday to say he was suspending his video blog "for now" and "taking time to reflect."

A petition on Change.org that demands his YouTube channel be deleted had been signed by more than 125,000 people by Thursday mo0rning.

Paul created a furor when he posted a video of him in a forest near Mount Fuji showing what seemed to be a body hanging from a tree. YouTube said the controversial images violated their policies.

The video was viewed some 6 million times before being removed from Paul's YouTube channel, a verified account with more than 15 million subscribers.

A storm of criticism followed despite two apologies, with commenters saying Paul seemed disrespectful and that his initial apology was inadequate.

YouTube said that while it may allow some graphic content if it is posted in an educational, documentary, scientific or artistic manner or limited to users who are 18 or older, Paul was issued a so-called "strike," or told in an email that he had violated the site's guidelines.

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