YouTube users to raise terrorism flag

YouTube is to start allowing users to flag videos that they suspect of promoting terrorism, in a major change to the online video site's terms of service, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.

According to the report, flagged videos will be reviewed by a special YouTube staffer who will delete the videos if they are indeed found to be promoting terror.

Previously, the Google-owned service had only restricted such videos if they were found to directly incite others to commit violence, citing the need to preserve freedom of speech. That policy had come in for widespread condemnation from US politicians, but it was unclear what specific instance had led to the change by the world's most popular video site, dpa reported.

The move came about a month after YouTube removed hundreds of videos that featured the fugitive American cleric Anwar Awlaki, following his designation by US officials as a "global terrorist."