Companies Pull Ads From Rumble Over Refusal To Demonetize Russell Brand

Last week, YouTube demonetized Russell Brand over claims that he raped and sexually assaulted four women between 2006 to 2013. Brand denies the allegations, generating a classic case of "he said, she said."

Yet YouTube decided Brand was guilty until proven innocent. As have various sponsors.

According to NewsBusters, a loathsome activist group called The News Movement (TNM) contacted and pressured numerous advertisers to cease their association with Brand's Rumble channel until the service also applies demonetization to his page.

Unlike YouTube, Rumble is not in the business of ruling on unproven rape allegations.

However, Burger King, HelloFresh, Asos and The Barbican have since withdrawn their ads from Brand's Rumble page. At the behest of TNM, of course

Russell Brand's ability to make money has been pinched over claims the self-righteous have decided are credible.

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 07: Russell Brand is seen on February 07, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by gotpap/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

And it's all arbitrary.

As we reported last week, there's a lengthy list of rappers who can still monetize their channels on YouTube despite facing several allegations of rape.

Likewise, money laundering groups like TNM are not applying pressure on sponsors of the rappers.

Fox News host Will Cain discussed the disparate treatment of Brand on his podcast last week:

Perhaps they've targeted Brand over his contrarian opinions regarding the Covid-19 pandemic and spirituality.

Now, Brand will face social, maybe criminal ramifications if the accusations against him are proven.

But they aren't proven. At least not yet.

We don't know what is true. Nor do the people calling for his cancellation.

Third-party businesses should not be in the business of deciding which accusations are valid, and who should be able to monetize content as a result.

Good on Rumble for allowing the process the play out, and for not presuming guilt on the basis of unsubstantiated claims.