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YouTube Refuses to Remove Anti-Asian Song, Drawing Staff Ire

  • Uproar at Google video unit focuses on ‘Meet the Flockers’
  • Executives cite exception for clips with artistic context
Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg
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YouTube’s refusal to remove a song some employees find racist to people of Asian origin has caused a fracas inside the company, the latest clash in a growing national debate about anti-Asian hate.

Workers at Google’s YouTube recently posted on internal message boards to criticize executives who decided against taking down videos featuring the rap song “Meet the Flockers,” which debuted in 2014 from recording artist YG. The track, about a burglary, includes lyrics that encourage the targeting of neighborhoods where Chinese people live.