YouTube Implements New Restrictions and Bans on Gun-Related Videos

Highlights

• Homemade Guns Age-Restricted: Videos showing homemade guns restricted to viewers 18+.
• Total Ban on Security Device Bypass Videos: Complete removal of videos on bypassing gun locks or safes.
• Exemptions for Public Interest Content: News reports, documentaries, and military footage remain allowed.
• Platform Safety Focus: Steps taken to curb dangerous weapon manufacturing content.

YouTube has announced a slew of new major rules that will bring in restrictions and bans on some sorts of gun-related videos running on the platform.

Some gun videos will now have new age limits, while others will become completely prohibited.

“YouTube age-restricting gun content is a step in the right direction,” acknowledges TTP Director Katie Paul. However, she emphasizes the importance of effective implementation: “It’s unclear why the company waited so long to address this issue.”

In a statement to Engadget, YouTube spokesperson Javier Hernandez wrote: “These updates to our firearms policy are part of our continued efforts to maintain policies that reflect the current state of content on YouTube. For example, 3D printing has become more readily available in recent years so we’re expanding our restrictions on content involving homemade firearms. We regularly review our guidelines and consult with outside experts to make sure we are drawing the line at the right place.”

“We have heard firsthand from young individuals that YouTube’s algorithm is driving them to the world of illegal and 3D-printed firearms, which is having a direct impact on the safety of Manhattanites,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement emailed to reporters.

Homemade Guns Age-Restricted

Any YouTube videos showing how to make homemade guns or automatic weapons at home will now be age-restricted and blocked from viewers under the age of 18 years.

Young people will not be able to access this potentially dangerous content.

To be even more strict, YouTube will introduce a total ban on any videos about how to remove or bypass security devices like gun locks or safes.

There will be no exceptions – such videos will be completely removed from the site.

This is intended to prevent the availability of content that may be a guide to illegal weapon modifications or manufacture, the latter especially as 3D printing technology becomes more readily available.

Weighing Open Public Interest Content

YouTube clarifies that the policy would have no bearing on video game content, movies, or other fictional artistic content that depicts guns.

Exemptions for videos made with public interest in mind, like news reports, documentaries, or footage from military or law enforcement sources, would still be allowed, however.

The company said it had worked with outside experts on violence prevention on the new guidance.

A Step, Anyways, Toward Platform Safety

Though the new controls on gun videos are seen as a step in the right direction, some find it almost disingenuous that a response to the problem raised last year has taken so long.

As with anything YouTube, enforcement of the policy will be key when there’s a library of content as large as it has amassed.

Most would agree, however, that any step to curb the spread of possibly dangerous information about weapon manufacturing is a smart one when it comes to making a platform safer, especially for young audiences.

As pervasive as YouTube is, it does indeed hold a stake in society.

FAQs

What types of gun-related videos are being age-restricted on YouTube?

Videos showing how to make homemade guns or automatic weapons at home will be age-restricted and blocked for viewers under 18 years.

Are there any types of gun-related videos that are being completely banned?

Yes, videos that demonstrate how to remove or bypass security devices like gun locks or safes will be completely banned from the platform.

Will these new restrictions affect video game content or movies that depict guns?

No, the policy does not apply to video game content, movies, or other fictional artistic content that depicts guns.

Are there any exemptions for gun-related videos?

Yes, exemptions are made for videos created with public interest in mind, such as news reports, documentaries, or footage from military or law enforcement sources.

Why is YouTube implementing these new restrictions on gun-related videos?

YouTube is implementing these restrictions to prevent the spread of potentially dangerous information about weapon manufacturing and modifications, ensuring a safer platform, especially for young audiences.

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