The world’s largest video platform, YouTube has banned R. Kelly after his conviction of sex crimes.
YouTube on October 5 banned two channels linked to the disgraced singer, according to a memo from YouTube’s head of legal, Nicole Alston.
Those channels, R. Kelly TV and R. Kelly Vevo, are offline, giving users a message that the “account has been terminated for a violation of YouTube’s Terms of Service.” However, Google’s YouTube will continue to offer Kelly’s catalog on its audio streaming service, YouTube Music.
“Egregious actions committed by R. Kelly warrant penalties beyond standard enforcement measures due to a potential to cause widespread harm,” Alston wrote in her memo. “Ultimately we are taking this action to protect our users similar to other platforms.” Kelly will no longer be able to use, own or create YouTube channels, she added.
“We can confirm that we have terminated two channels linked to R. Kelly in accordance with our creator responsibility guidelines,” a YouTube spokesperson said in a statement.
In September, R. Kelly was convicted of nine counts by a federal jury in New York, including racketeering, sex trafficking and the sexual exploitation of a child.
