Define nudity? YouTube bans model Belle Delphine for sexual content, unbans when asked to explain why racy music videos get a pass

YouTube has been accused of kowtowing to corporates after it temporarily banned British erotic model Belle Delphine for violating sexual content policy while turning a blind eye to similar clips of mainstream performers.

Delphine – real name Mary-Belle Kirschner – had her account “terminated with no warning” on Sunday, the 21-year-old Instagramer and OnlyFans model wrote. “This account has been terminated due to multiple or severe violations of YouTube’s policy on nudity or sexual content,” reads the disclaimer put in place of her channel.

Delphine’s photos and videos have been notorious for suggestive and at times explicit content. This has scored her a large following and a fair share of controversies. However, it wasn’t her fans alone who rose up in social media outrage following Sunday’s ban.

Delphine’s fellow YouTubers and censorship critics have been quick to point out apparent hypocrisy in the platform’s policy enforcement, with similarly explicit footage being fully permitted in mainstream music videos that have scored hundreds of millions views.

To prove this point, popular YouTuber Keemstar tweeted out a compilation of footage comparing Delphine’s videos with ones featuring stars like Cardi B and Nicki Minaj. Not only did the scenes in those clips look alike, it would seem that some of the model’s racy stunts were a parody on those of mainstream pop idols.

The news has resonated with many YouTube critics, who’ve long called out the video hosting service for seemingly favoring establishment media over independent creators.

“YouTube's termination of Belle Delphine basically confirms that they have a completely different set of rules for mainstream content and don't view organic creators as ‘artists,’” one disappointed viewer wrote.

More YouTube-savvy media critics pointed out that the platform freely hosts nudity content, which remains untouched by the moderators.

Others rushed to defend the risqué music videos, claiming that Delphine’s content was nothing like the clips of Nicki Minaj or Cardi B. “Belle is 100% porn and the message is porn. Cardi B is a musician who uses sexuality in her videos. That's the difference,” one YouTube connoisseur tweeted.

There were even those advocating for both instances of sexual content to be banned.

Despite the troublesome YouTube censorship trends, some commenters were glad Delphine got the boot, accusing her of having been a “pedo baiter” on the platform.

Contrary to the wishes of her critics, however, Delphine’s ban wouldn’t last long, as the video-sharing giant stepped in on Monday evening to reinstate the channel amid complaints from the model and her fans.

“THANKYOU Team YouTube for listening to me!” she said in a celebratory tweet, also thanking followers for helping revive the 1.79 million-subscriber account.

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