Attack on YouTube HQ in California: Shooter's bizarre videos hint at her anger with video-sharing platform

Menufee: The woman who shot three people at YouTube’s headquarters was prolific at producing videos and posting them online, many of them bizarre, such as a clip in which she removes a revealing purple dress to expose fake, strapped on breasts with the message, “Don’t Trust Your Eyes.” In others, Nasim Aghdam exercises, promotes animal rights and explains the vegan diet, often in elaborate costumes or carrying a rabbit. [caption id=“attachment_4419009” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Nasim Aghdam.[/caption] The videos have become central to the motive authorities have settled on for the shooting: Aghdam’s anger with the policies of YouTube—the world’s biggest online video website. Nasim Aghdam, an Iranian native who was in her late 30s, posted the videos under the online name Nasime Sabz, and a website in that name decried YouTube’s policies, saying the company was trying to “suppress” content creators. “Youtube filtered my channels to keep them from getting views!” one of the messages said. “There is no equal growth opportunity on YOUTUBE or any other video sharing site, your channel will grow if they want to!!!!!” People who post on YouTube can receive money from advertisements that accompany their videos, but the company “de-monetizes” some channels for reasons including inappropriate material or having fewer than 1,000 subscribers. YouTube had no comment about any actions related to Aghdam’s videos. Aghdam also ran a Farsi-language public channel on the messaging app Telegram, which had 6,000 followers, featuring content unlikely to resonate with Iranians. She was virtually unknown in a country where about 40 million people use the app. One video was a tutorial on buttocks massage, and another featured a song praising Bahaism, a religion that originated in Iran but is heavily suppressed by the Islamic Republic.