YouTube has taken action against the official channel of the late Nigerian televangelist TB Joshua's megachurch, Emmanuel TV, citing violations of hate speech policies.
This move follows a joint investigation by the BBC and openDemocracy revealing evidence of widespread sexual abuse and torture by the disgraced preacher.
Emmanuel TV, instrumental in TB Joshua's global rise, has over half a million followers and hundreds of millions of views on YouTube. This marks the second suspension in three years due to breaches of community guidelines.
The investigation by openDemocracy flagged at least 50 "abusive" videos on Emmanuel TV's YouTube channel, prompting its suspension on January 29. The Google-owned platform stated the termination was due to violations of hate speech policies.
TB Joshua's healing ministries, once famed, faced scrutiny with the investigation revealing misleading content, including footage of individuals with mental health issues in chains and smear campaigns against those exposing sexual abuse. MultiChoice dropped Emmanuel TV's satellite channel on January 17.
Despite YouTube's actions, online trolling persists, raising questions about the effectiveness of platforms' online safety policies. This development adds to the growing scrutiny faced by social media platforms in recent years.
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