YouTube pulls three Piper Rockelle video thumbnails for violating its child safety policy after Pink said the 14-year-old was ‘exploited’

• YouTube took down three video thumbnails from 14-year-old Piper Rockelle's channel.
• The platform told Insider that the video thumbnails violated its child safety policy.
• Rockelle's swimsuit photos previously drew criticism from the singer Pink.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

On Thursday evening, YouTube removed the thumbnails from three of Piper Rockelle's videos because they violated the platform's child safety policy, a spokesperson for the platform told Insider.

The 14-year-old with 8.2 million YouTube subscribers drew attention on Sunday when the singer Pink tweeted that Rockelle was being "exploited" by her mother. Led by the celebrity's tweet, outrage has bubbled up around the teen's social-media photos and YouTube video thumbnails, which frequently feature the influencer wearing bikinis.

YouTube removed the thumbnails in question after Insider asked whether they violated the platform's child safety policy, which prohibits content that endangers the emotional and physical health of minors, including content that sexually exploits minors. The policy also states that content marketed towards young audiences and families that contains mature themes is not allowed.

The three thumbnails YouTube pulled have since been replaced by what appear to be default thumbnail images chosen by the platform. They accompanied videos titled: "My Boyfriend Reacts to Fashion Nova Swimsuit Haul **BODY SHAMING PRANK**," "MY BOYFRIEND WALKED IN ON ME," and "Wearing A Hot Outfit Then Leaving Him! **Cute Reaction**."

The videos were still available and running advertisements as of Thursday evening.

One of the removed thumbnails showed Rockelle holding a towel around herself while her 16-year-old boyfriend Lev Cameron looked away, with a red "CENSORED" label hanging in the top right of the image.

The second thumbnail showed Rockelle and another girl dressed in pink swimsuits while two boys watched them from a couch, each boy holding a sign that appeared to show them rating the girls.

In the third, Rockelle and another girl wore bikinis while standing in a doorway. Quote bubbles above the girls indicated they were "leaving," with the boys' quote bubbles saying "NO!" and "STOP!"

Those videos have between 1.4 and 7.9 million views as of Thursday evening. Some of Piper's videos have as many as 32 million and 27 million views.

A representative for the Rockelles was not immediately available for comment on YouTube's decision.

YouTube's action follows recent controversy over Rockelle's content. On Sunday, Pink tweeted that Rockelle's mother, Tiffany Rockelle, was taking inappropriate bikini pictures of the 14-year-old.

"How many kids like Piper Rockelle are being exploited by their parents?" she tweeted.

-P!nk (@Pink) August 29, 2021

Piper and Tiffany Rockelle previously refuted the accusation in statements to Insider.

"There's nothing wrong with being in a bikini," Piper said in a statement emailed by a representative. "Pics of teenagers in bikinis having fun are not sexual. They're only sexual if you view us that way."

Piper is known for making prank and challenge videos on YouTube that center around her friend group and romantic relationships, in addition to releasing music through Universal Music Group and starring in Brat TV shows like "Mani" and "Piperazzi."

Concerns over Rockelle's content have spread on YouTube since at least 2019. This year, several popular videos criticizing the perceived adult nature of her thumbnails and video content have amassed upwards of 100,000 views.

Plotlines in her videos include love triangles, pranks, and - as concerned viewers and YouTubers have pointed out - sexually suggestive themes, like Piper trying to "distract" her boyfriend by doing squats in front of his face while wearing tight leggings.

Read more stories from Insider's Digital Culture desk.