Christopher “Direct D” Ruff went live on Saturday only to have his stream removed by YouTube after he flashed a replica BB Gun on camera, which YouTube claimed violates their terms of service and implemented a live stream ban on his main channel.
The YouTuber immediately took to twitter to protest the decision after encountering an apparent YouTube customer service bot that was less than helpful. It claimed that YouTube’s “internal team” reviewed his appeal of the suspension, and it was the final decision of the team.
Ruff countered that the “appeal” was submitted, and he received the “final response” within a minute of the submission and that no human could have had time to review his appeal in that period.
The bot assured him that the decision was not made by YouTube’s support team and that they had no way to intervene or override the decision. The bot also did not give him any information on the length of his suspension, as the only warning he received what that his video was taken down and his live streaming had been suspended, but it was not a content “warning or strike.”
Ruff attempted to appeal to the YouTubeCreators team on Twitter, writing:
I was handling a BB Gun (co2) @YouTubeCreators, not a “firearm”. I made this clear in my live and even showed that it was not a real “firearm” but rather a replica. Never had an issue before and YouTube TOS only speaks on “firearms”. By definition a BB gun is not a “firearm”. This mistake is preventing me from live streaming.
The TeamYouTube account wrote back to him:
totally understand where you’re coming from. we’ll take a look into this & let you know what we find. hold tight, it might take a couple of days to hear back
With Ruff responding:
I appreciate the response, but a few days? I’m currently restricted from live streaming with no idea on how long. That’s a problem, especially when I’m familiar with YouTube TOS and know I didn’t violate them. My channel has been around for 7 years now and I’ve never experienced this kind of issue. How can I violate the “firearms” policy when I don’t even own one?
Neither the YouTubeCreators nor TeamYouTube accounts have provided a further response as of press time.
Ruff’s clear issue is that YouTube removed a video featuring replica of an actual firearm. YouTube’s bots are not qualified to determine the difference between a replica and a firearm and took away his ability to livestream based on that determination.
Also at issue is the fact that Ruff is a convicted felon and is not allowed by law to own a traditional firearm but is allowed to own BB guns, including replica guns that look like other firearms. Ruff is conscious of his status and has been protective of his right to own the replica guns without getting flagged as violating his status as a felon.
A felon having a firearm or illegal weapon in Arizona, where Ruff lives, is a class 4 felony and carries a sentence of 1.5 to 3 years in jail upon a guilty verdict.
Ruff’s live streaming ability has not been restored as of press time.
