Nestlé is among several advertisers that have suspended advertising on YouTube over inappropriate comments made about children on the platform.
The comments, revealed by blogger Matt Watson in a video published on 17 February (below), showed some YouTube users were identifying precise times within videos where underage girls appear in compromising positions that can be seen as sexual.
All Nestlé brands in the US have paused advertising on YouTube, the company has confirmed, as well as German food company Dr Oetker and video game maker Epic Games.
Disney and McDonald’s have also withheld spending, according to reports from and the .
A spokeswoman for YouTube said: "Any content – including comments – that endangers minors is abhorrent and we have clear policies prohibiting this on YouTube. We took immediate action by deleting accounts and channels, reporting illegal activity to authorities and disabling violative comments."
YouTube came under fire two years ago after reports that it had made millions of pounds from advertising from videos that exploit children.
Multiple advertisers pulled their spend from the platform in 2017 after The Times revealed that ads were being run against videos that promote hate and terror. The issue cropped up again that year when UK political party ads were found to be running against extremist content.
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