Key facts
- A YouTube video falsely claimed Sydney massacre survivor Arsen Ostrovsky was a 'crisis actor'.
- The video suggested Ostrovsky's head wound was staged with makeup.
- Google Australia manager Rachel Lord testified that the video met YouTube's standards.
- Lord stated the decision to keep the video online was reviewed at senior levels.
- The video also alleged the massacre was a 'false flag operation'.
A Google executive defended YouTube's decision to keep a video online that falsely labeled a survivor of an antisemitic massacre in Sydney as a 'crisis actor.'
During a government inquiry into the spread of antisemitism, Google Australia manager Rachel Lord testified that the video, which suggested the survivor Arsen Ostrovsky's bleeding head wound was staged with makeup, met the platform's standards. Lord stated the decision to allow the video to remain online had been reviewed at senior levels.
Lawyer Richard Lancaster, leading the inquiry's evidence, referred to a transcript of the video, noting that its continued presence online demonstrated a 'serious deficiency' in YouTube's hate speech guidelines. The video also claimed the massacre was a 'false flag operation' and described Ostrovsky as a 'Zionist' and an 'intelligence asset' with a 'degree in theater.'
Ostrovsky had previously told the inquiry that he had been subjected to online hate, abuse, vilification, and AI manipulation since sustaining a minor head wound on December 14. The inquiry was also shown an AI-generated image depicting Ostrovsky with fake blood applied to his head.