Video sharing platform YouTube has announced an extension of its anti-harassment policy that will ban video creators from insulting one another on the basis of their race, gender expression, or sexual orientation, even if the attacked person is a popular creator, celebrity, politician, or a public figures.
Today’s update takes a step forward making four core changes to YouTube’s policy after enduring several months of criticism.
According to The Verge, the policy expands the types of threats that are now banned. In the past, YouTube has clamped down direct threats like “I’m going to kill you.” Now, more subtle and implied threats will be banned as well. That means no brandishing a weapon while discussing someone, or altering a violent video game to put someone else’s face on a murder victim.
Also, the policy now bans targeted harassment campaigns. In an interview, YouTube said that harassment on YouTube often doesn’t come down to a single insult. Instead, it’s a sustained effort over many videos. Under the new policy, YouTube will now take a more holistic view of what a creator is saying on their channel. Even if individual videos don’t necessarily cross the line, if they still contribute to the persecution of another person or creator, they’re eligible for removal.
The policy now bans insults on the basis of a protected class, such as race, gender expression, or sexual orientation. So: no more “lispy queer” slurs. The policy applies to all individuals, whether they are creators or not, and even if they are public figures, where social networks have historically tolerated much more offensive speech.
Finally, YouTube is expanding a program that uses machine learning to identify potentially offensive comments and stick them into a holding pen where creators can decide whether they want the comment to appear under their videos. The feature has been turned on by default for most creators since earlier this year.
YouTube’s Vice President Matt Halprin said in a blog post, “We remain committed to our openness as a platform and to ensure that spirited debate and a vigorous exchange of ideas continue to thrive here.
“However, we will not tolerate harassment and we believe the steps outlined below will contribute to our mission by making YouTube a better place for anyone to share their story or opinion.”
