YouTube Bans Gun Videos in Latest Policy Update
Google-owned YouTube updated its policies on firearm-related content making many gun-related videos a thing of the past. YouTube’s recent update will no longer allow gun or gun accessory manufacturers to post on their site. Earlier today, Spike’s Tactical, a Florida-based gun manufacturer with a 2.5k subscriber base found itself booted from the site for allegedly posting “violent content” that violated YouTube’s standards. NIOF.ORG visited their channel late today only to find all the video content on the channel completely removed.
YouTube spokeswoman said in an emailed statement has stated that they already banned content explicitly promoting the sale of guns, but continued stating, “We routinely make updates and adjustments to our enforcement guidelines across all of our policies,“ the spokeswoman said. “While we’ve long prohibited the sale of firearms, we recently notified creators of updates we will be making around content promoting the sale or manufacture of firearms and their accessories.”
These new changes come in the midst of a heated debate centered around gun reform as well as multiple companies attempting to distance their corporate relationships with the NRA and gun manufacturers in the wake of the February 14th shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL. that left 17 dead.
“YouTube doesn’t allow content that encourages or promotes violence or dangerous acts that have an inherent risk of serious physical harm or death…” said a letter from Youtube to Spike’s Tactical that the gun manufacturer posted on Facebook. “The only depictions of such activities that we may allow need to be educational or documentary in nature and shouldn’t be designed to help or encourage others to imitate them.”
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