A group of Democratic senators, led by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., sent a letter to YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki on Monday requesting the video-sharing platform remove all videos showing how to assemble a firearm from gun part kits, better known as "ghost guns."
"Ghost guns have become the weapon of choice for gun traffickers and convicted felons as well as domestic violent extremists and foreign terrorists," Blumenthal and his colleagues wrote. "Federal, state, and local law enforcement officials have sounded the alarm that these untraceable firearms present a distinct and deadly threat and have exacerbated the scourge and surge of gun violence that has ravaged communities all across the United States."
Blumenthal's push against "ghost gun" assembly videos comes as YouTube is already banning some uploads featuring such content. But the senators said the company has not gone far enough.
"It cannot be the case that YouTube is entirely reactive, removing these kinds of videos only when news outlets call public attention to violative content, when gun violence prevention advocates send letters listing specific YouTube videos that violate its Community Guidelines, or when congressional staff reach out to raise concerns about such videos," the letter continued.
So far, YouTube has not responded to the letter, which was signed by Sens. Robert Menendez, D-N.J.; Cory Booker, D-N.J.; Christopher Murphy, D-Conn.; and Edward Markey, D-Mass.
YouTube spokesperson Ivy Choi told NBC the platform removed, in the third quarter of 2021, 280,000 videos that violated its content rules.
However, it is unclear how many of the removed videos were gun-related.
"This work is ongoing," Choi stated, "and our teams will continue to work hard to refine the policies and systems that allow us to quickly detect and remove violative videos."
Currently, the Biden administration is in its final phase of establishing a rule that would brand major gun parts with serial numbers. The rule, undergoing revisions based on public comments but expected to be finalized later this year, would also require a background check for such gun parts.
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