NYC demands YouTube, parent company Google to remove thousands of ghost gun tutorials
NEW YORK CITY - Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is calling out YouTube and Google accusing them of playing a role in the proliferation of ghost guns.
The NYPD and Bragg unveiled a clinic on Wednesday demonstrating the increasing accessibility of 3-D printing for ghost guns.
Before last year, the highest number of ghost guns seized from the streets in a single year was four. However, this year, law enforcement has already confiscated 57, and we're only months into the year.
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Bragg and the NYPD report that individuals as young as 15 years old in New York City are being lured into printing ghost guns simply by watching video clips about video games on YouTube, including the popular "Call of Duty." They assert that with just a few clicks and a matter of minutes, YouTube's algorithm begins recommending video tutorials on 3-D gun printing.
FILE - Illegal and ghost guns are seen on display at the New York Attorney General Letitia James offices in downtown Manhattan. ( Luiz C. Ribeiro Archive/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)
They argue that these videos are alarmingly effective and pose a lethal threat.
"You don't need an MIT engineering degree; all you need is a computer. You can transition from gaming to manufacturing guns in 15 minutes," Bragg said. "This trend is moving beyond the confines of the World Wide Web and onto the streets of Manhattan."
Bragg has issued a letter to YouTube and its parent company, Google, demanding the removal of thousands of ghost gun tutorials from their platform.
A YouTube spokesperson told FOX 5 in a statement that:
"Our policies strictly prohibit content instructing viewers how to make ghost guns or 3D printed guns, and we’ll carefully review any videos the Manhattan DA’s office shares with us. We recognize our work in this area is never done and we remain committed to removing any content that violates our policies."