Users fear that the loss of content may have negative effects on youth
YouTube has recently added a new feature to their “Restricted Mode”—a feature that has resulted in quite a bit of backlash.
The website offers a restricted section designed to let parents, schools, and libraries filter out inappropriate and explicit content unsuitable for users under the age of 18. Throughout the past month, YouTubers have noticed that the site has been restricting videos containing any association to the LGBTQ+ community—including explicit LGBTQ+ images and videos, any mention of LGBTQ+ terms in video tags and titles, as well as any other related matter discussed or displayed within the videos.
This means that these types of videos are not visible to users who are logged out, under 18 years of age, or have enabled the restricted mode.
While many of these videos do contain highly sexually explicit content and have obvious grounds for restriction, other videos discussing sexuality or sexual orientation, such as coming out videos, have also been made inaccessible.
In an email statement, YouTube claimed that “some videos that cover subjects like health, politics, and sexuality may not appear for users and institutions that choose to use this feature.”These topics, which are often rooted in conversations of LGBTQ+ matter, are inaccessible to a large portion of YouTube’s audience and to many users who might need these conversations most, like vulnerable high school students struggling with their identities and struggling to find resources.
By restricting these videos, YouTube is implying that LGBTQ+ content is harmful to these youth and is consequently encouraging parents to shelter and protect their children from real life.
The reality is that, if YouTube preaches to be an open, accessible, and non-discriminatory outlet, it should focus on integrating one of its largest represented communities rather than excluding it—especially when the content being submitted is intended to help guide other people who may be feeling lost in terms of their own sexuality or identity.
If we had not been able to watch these videos, myself and many of my friends may have never been exposed to even the potential of “being gay” while growing up.LGBTQ+ individuals—especially youth—should feel comforted by being able to turn to role-models who positively represent their community (compared to some of society’s other representations of the LGBTQ+ community, such as the controversial content found under Netflix’s LGBTQ genre), instead of feeling discriminated against through perpetuations that who they are is “wrong.”
After receiving a number of complaints on Twitter and on other social media networks, YouTube has replied and has apologized to the community and to its allies, blaming the “incorrect labelling” of videos on their own automated system. Now, YouTube is trying to correct the situation by manually re-evaluating each restricted or flagged video.“We’re working hard to make some improvements,” reads another emailed statement.
However, I know I’m not the only who is concerned about the lack of further information provided by the site. In other words, what criteria or “method of evaluation” is being used to judge whether these videos should be restricted?
YouTube has failed to explain and, despite having made some changes to the policy (‘unrestricting’ some videos that didn’t need to be restricted in the first place), many voices still aren’t being heard.
Photo by Rego Korosi via CC BY-SA 2.0.