MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA — In an effort to ensure it isn’t in any way confused with any sort of “boob tube,” YouTube has clamped down even further on the types of content it will allow on its free-for-all video-sharing website.The Google subsidiary outlawed sexually explicit content several years ago. This week, the company announced it no longer will allow in public areas material that includes nudity, profanity or any other non-pornographic content “intended or designed to arouse viewers.” Users wishing to view “suggestive” videos will need to attest to their majority by becoming YouTube members and affirming their birthdates before being granted access. YouTube membership is free.
“We’ve been thinking a lot lately about how to make the collective YouTube experience even better, particularly on our most visited pages,” a spokesman wrote on the company’s blog. “Our goal is to help ensure that you’re viewing content that’s relevant to you, and not inadvertently coming across content that isn’t.”
So-called “family values” and “pro-decency” organizations, of course, welcomed the announcement.
“Kids go there by the millions,” James Steyer, chief executive of Common Sense Media, told San Jose, CA’s The Mercury News. “Most [adults] that go to YouTube are parents that don’t want our kids exposed to that” kind of content.
YouTube’s decision puts it in an awkward spot. The company relies on it 280 million monthly visitors to flag potentially offensive content. Since millions of videos occupy the website at any one time and 13 hours of new video are posted ever minute, it’s likely many clips that violate the new rules will occupy public pages for quite some time before anyone notices they are there. In addition, someone at YouTube will be put in the unenviable position of determining exactly what constitutes content “intended or designed to arouse.”
The situation is not clarified by YouTube’s terms of service and user agreement. In one section, the rules specify that nudity is forbidden. In another, the rules suggest nudity will be relegated to protected pages.
Nevertheless, “we remain serious about enforcing these rules,” a posting to YouTube’s blog reads. “Remember, violations of these guidelines could result in removal of your video, and repeated violations will lead to termination of your account.”
In addition to suggestive content of an adult nature, YouTube has added prohibitions concerning animal abuse, drugs abuse, bomb making, dead bodies and “gross” videos.
In addition, “we encourage free speech and defend everyone’s right to express unpopular points of view, but we don’t permit speech that attacks and demeans groups based on certain characteristics,” YouTube noted. “We draw the line on content that is intended to incite violence or encourage dangerous and illegal activity.”
