MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) 鈥� A Google executive told an inquiry on Tuesday that a YouTube video that falsely claimed a wounded survivor of an in Sydney was a crisis actor blooded with makeup had met the platform鈥檚 standards and would remain online.
Google Australia manager Rachel Lord was testifying at a into the spread of antisemitism in Australia including an attack by two gunmen on a Sydney Hanukkah celebration in December that left 15 dead.
Lord was questioned about a complaint made by survivor Arsen Ostrovsky about a video posted on YouTube. Ostrovsky was attacked online after an image showing blood streaming from a wound in his head was posted on X two hours after he was shot.
Lord said the decision to allow the video to remain on YouTube had been reviewed at 鈥渜uite senior levels.鈥�
鈥淲e have spent a lot of time thinking about where we draw the line and we continue to re-evaluate where we are doing that,鈥� Lord said.
Richard Lancaster, the lawyer leading the inquiry鈥檚 evidence, referred to a transcript of the video to avoid showing the images in public.
Four men appear on split screen saying Ostrovsky鈥檚 bleeding head appeared 鈥渧ery crisis actor-ish鈥� and mentioned 鈥渕akeup.鈥� They also describe him as an 鈥渋ntelligence asset鈥� who had a 鈥渄egree in theater.鈥�
The video also describes Ostrovsky as a Zionist and claims the massacre was a 鈥渇alse flag operation.鈥� Police allege father and son shooters Sajid and Naveed Akram were inspired by the Islamic State group.
Lancaster told Lord the video remaining online demonstrated a 鈥渞eally serious deficiency鈥� in YouTube鈥檚 hate speech guidelines.
Lord replied that she appreciated Lancaster鈥檚 鈥渇eedback.鈥�
YouTube told Australia鈥檚 online safety regulator three days after the massacre that the platform was 鈥渇ocused on ensuring Australians and all users around the world have access to high quality information about the tragic events,鈥� Lord said.
Ostrovsky told the inquiry last month that he had been targeted by online hate, abuse, vilification and AI manipulation since he suffered the minor head wound on Dec. 14.
The inquiry was then shown an AI-generated image of Ostrovsky apparently laughing as someone applied fake blood to his head.
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