YouTube is implementing new policies regarding firearm videos in an effort to prevent potentially dangerous content from reaching underage users. The platform, owned by Google, will now prohibit videos that demonstrate how to remove firearm safety devices, as well as videos showing homemade guns, automatic weapons, and certain firearm accessories like silencers. These videos will be restricted to users 18 and older starting on June 18. Gun safety advocates have been pushing for these changes, concerned that such content could traumatize children or lead them towards extremism and violence.
Director of the Tech Transparency Project, Katie Paul, welcomed the policy changes as a step in the right direction. However, she questioned why it took YouTube so long to issue these new rules and emphasized the importance of effective enforcement. Paul’s group has been advocating for stronger age controls on online gun videos, citing firearms as the leading cause of death for children and teens in America. The real impact of these changes will be measured by how effectively YouTube enforces them to prevent gun-related content from reaching minors.
Last year, researchers at Paul’s group conducted an experiment using YouTube accounts that mimicked the behavior of 9-year-old American boys interested in video games. They found that YouTube’s recommendation system was directing these accounts to graphic videos of school shootings, tactical gun training, and instructions on making firearms fully automatic. Some videos featured young children handling handguns or simulated violence with lifelike blood and brains. Many of these videos violated the platform’s existing policies, highlighting the need for stricter controls on gun-related content.
The policy changes by YouTube are a response to growing concerns about the impact of firearm videos on young viewers. By restricting access to videos that demonstrate unsafe practices or glorify violence, the platform aims to create a safer environment for its underage users. Gun safety advocates hope that these measures will help prevent children from being exposed to harmful content and reduce the risk of them being influenced towards dangerous behavior.
Moving forward, the effectiveness of YouTube’s new policies will depend on how well they are enforced. Gun safety advocates will be monitoring the platform to ensure that videos showing firearms and gun violence are not easily accessible to minors. By taking action to prevent young viewers from being exposed to inappropriate content, YouTube is sending a message that protecting children from harm is a top priority.
