YouTube attacked by MPs over sex and violence footage.

YouTube, the video-sharing website, is under attack from MPs for failing to prevent images of sex and violence being posted freely on the internet.

The site does not vet videos before the go online, instead relying on users to report "inappropriate" content, with staff removing those that they judge to be unsuitable.

The firm says that 10 hours of video are posted online every minute, making it simply impractical to vet all of those films in advance.

John Whittingdale, the committee chairman, dismissed that argument and insisted that the firm and others that host "user-generated content" should do more to filter submissions.

"Proactive review of content should be standard practice for sites hosting user-generated content," the committee says.

The MPs say the internet has a "dark side", where hardcore pornography and videos of fights, bullying and even rape can be found, as well as websites promoting eating disorder, self-harm and suicide.

The committee wants to see the creation of an industry self-regulation body to agree and police minimum standards for protection of internet users from potentially harmful content.

But it stops short of calling for statutory regulation, arguing that its effectiveness would be limited as so many sites are based overseas.

The MPs also revealed that paedophiles are using virtual worlds like Second Life to simulate sex with children, MPs have revealed.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main....lyoutube131.xml

hardly the fault of youtube

Well I don't think any video sharing site would be able to stop all the videos from containing inappropriate content, they just don't have enough people to do it.