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 Front page as of April 2008. |
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| URL | http://www.liveleak.com/ |
| Commercial? | Yes |
| Type of site | Video sharing |
| Registration | Optional |
| Owner | Unknown |
| Created by | Unknown |
LiveLeak is a video sharing website that lets users post and share videos. Liveleak places emphasis on current events, politics and reality-based footage such as war scenes from various parts of the world.[1]
The site went live on October 31, 2006.[2] Founded by the team responsible for Ogrish.com, it aims to take reality footage, politics, and world events and combine them with the power of citizen journalism.[3]
The site came to prominence in 2007 following the unauthorized filming and leaking of the execution of Saddam Hussein, and was referred to by White House Press Secretary Tony Snow and then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair.[4][5]
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"Your Say" is the premiere section of Liveleak where users upload their own videos, much like a Vlog. Unlike YouTube, the Vlogs on Liveleak are more political and are known for debate. In the Your Say section, as opposed to many other Vlogging websites, when material is uploaded it is displayed first on the list. Sometimes they feature users such as Pat Condell on the front page.
Liveleak was in the spotlight again in March 2008 when it hosted the anti-Qur'an film Fitna made by Dutch politician Geert Wilders. Liveleak holds to being strictly non-biased in its approach to members and their content, believing in freedom of speech within the site rules regardless of how certain content might offend them personally.[6] "Fitna" was taken down after threats were made against Liveleak staff, but (as of 2008) is back online after Liveleak reportedly improved security. The video was once again removed on April 1, this time it was removed by the user citing that it was taken down due to copyright wrangles and a new version will be uploaded "soon".
Since May 14, 2007, The Defense Department has restricted access to websites such as YouTube and MySpace in order to prevent violations of Operations Security.[7] One can easily watch war footage from Iraq and Afghanistan, which many show videos from soldiers of the United States and other countries.
On July 30, 2007, the BBC programme "Panorama" broadcast a show about how young people were getting physically assaulted and knocked unconscious.[8] When Panorama queried the "extremely violent videos" that had been posted to LiveLeak's website, the co-founder, Hayden Hewitt, refused to have them taken down and stated "Look all this is happening, this is real life, this is going on, we're going to show it."[9]
Liveleak states there are relatively few such videos on the site and should the uploaders be found to have been involved in the filming and / or involved in a violent attack they (Liveleak) will aid the police with any prosecutions.[10]
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