Google owned YouTube updates its harassment policy for its video-sharing platform. The update features stricter controls over threats and personal attacks (or insults).
The change was announced in a blog post by the search engine giants. After conducting a systematical review of all its policies, the company said:
“[it] recognised earlier this year that for harassment, there is more [they] can do to protect our creators and community.”
The change comes after disputes between two YouTubers. The BBC reports that journalist Carlos Maza and Steven Crowder had gone head-to-head on the platform. Carlos presents videos for the Vox channel while Crowder presents a right-wing talk show on YouTube.
Crowder had allegedly regularly made fun of the s****l orientation and ethnicity of Maza on some of his videos.
In the beginning, YouTube found that his comments did not violate its policies. However, it later restricted Crowder’s ability to make money via advertising due to “continued egregious actions”.
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Then YouTube Updated its Harassment policy
YouTube initiated the new policy after the incidence. On this, it blogged:
“Harassment hurts our community by making people less inclined to share their opinions and engage with each other. We heard this time and again from creators, including those who met with us during the development of this policy update.
We also met with a number of experts who shared their perspective and informed our process, from organisations that study online bullying or advocate on behalf of journalists, to free speech proponents and policy organisations from all sides of the political spectrum”.
The video-sharing company also added:
“We’ve always removed videos that explicitly threaten someone, reveal confidential personal information, or encourage people to harass someone else. Moving forward, our policies will go a step further and not only prohibit explicit threats but also veiled or implied threats.
This includes content simulating violence toward an individual or language suggesting physical violence may occur. We will no longer allow content that maliciously insults someone based on protected attributes such as their race, gender expression, or s****l orientation,
The YouTube updates affect everyone, it disclosed:
“This applies to everyone, from private individuals to YouTube creators, to public officials.”
A coalition of child advocacy and privacy groups in the United States filed an official complaint against YouTube in 2018.
The complaints allege a violation of child protection laws by advertising to and collecting personal data of children under 13.
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