YouTube co

A chorus of protest has grown against Google's changes to how users comment on YouTube videos, with the site's co-founder even voicing his own anger.

Last week YouTube made changes meaning all users must sign up to Google+, its social network, before they can comment on a video.

The decision has sparked an online petition which has more than 110,000 signatures, and users have also bombarded Google's products forum with more than 430,000 complaints.

Karim then posted the comment: 'why the f*** do I need a google+ account to comment on a video?'

^{Jawed Karim's YouTube page Photo:www.youtube.com}

YouTube and Google have claimed that the new system means 'comments will become conversations'.

In a blog post last week the company said it will enable users to comment publicly or privately, and allow for easier moderating of comments.

'You'll see posts at the top of the list from the video's creator, popular personalities, engaged discussions about the video, and people in your Google+ Circles', Google explained.

But many vented their frustration at the move, believing it is simply a ploy to boost the number of users its Google+ social network, which has struggled to compete with Facebook and Twitter.

One report has suggested that in the middle of 2012 there were fewer than 10 million daily users.

The petition posted on change.org reads: 'Google is forcing us to make Google+ accounts and invading our social life to comment on a YouTUbe video and trying to take away our anonymous profile.

'They are also trying to censor us unless we share the same worldview as they do.'

Another wrote on Google's product forum: 'I understand why Google might want to offer integration, but why must it be forced?'