Being accused of distributing adult videos at the age of 93? That's not what peace activist Metta Spencer had in mind.
Metta Spencer, 93 years old and a former sociology professor at the University of Toronto, never imagined she would be accused of spreading spicy videos at her age. Yet, that’s exactly what happened when her YouTube channel ToSavetheWorld was deleted without warning. The reason? Alleged violations of community guidelines – but the real culprit was a hacker, as she explained to CBC.
From peace research to adult film scandal
Spencer expressed frustration, saying that her channel was simply shut down and that hundreds of discussion sessions she had produced over the years were suddenly gone.
Her channel aimed to promote global awareness, featuring discussions with leading figures on topics like climate change, pandemics, hunger, and – ironically – cyber risks. Tragically, it was a Zoom-bombing attack during a live climate change broadcast that led to this bizarre situation.
In the middle of the discussion, hackers interrupted the conference, displayed adult films, and took control of her computer. Spencer, as calmly as only a 93-year-old can be, managed to kick the intruders out of the session and continue the discussion. However, the chaos didn’t stop: soon after, her channel, which had over 600 uploaded videos, was deleted.
Spencer explained that communication with YouTube was a disaster, as emails went unanswered, FAQs were useless, and attempts to reach someone were fruitless.
Help arrived – late, but at least it arrived
It wasn’t until CBC Toronto intervened and directly contacted Google’s parent company that Spencer’s channel was restored. A Google Canada spokesperson explained that one video had violated the guidelines. However, after a re-review, the channel was reactivated, and the video in question was removed.
For Spencer, this was a huge moment of relief. She remarked that it represented many years of her life and expressed that she was glad it was restored, though she acknowledged the experience was humiliating.
Metta Spencer's channel features forums with leading figures such as former Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy and UN Ambassador Bob Rae. Her goal is to foster informed discussions about the world’s most pressing issues.
Despite the chaos, Spencer maintains her sense of humor, commenting that it’s almost funny that someone her age would be blamed for posting adult films. She acknowledged the absurdity, but also pointed out how frightening it is to feel so powerless in such situations. Hopefully, she can now continue to do what she loves most for a few more years: save the world.