YouTube leadership on Wednesday unveiled updates it said would better “tackle harassment” on the global video hosting platform.
“We remain committed to (…) ensuring that spirited debate and a vigorous exchange of ideas continue to thrive here. However, we will not tolerate harassment,” the company’s Vice President Matt Halprin said.
The updates will expand YouTube’s policy on threats by banning “veiled or implied threats” in addition to explicit ones. An example of a veiled threat, according to Halprin, is content “simulating violence” or language “suggesting physical violence may occur.”
“Beyond threatening someone, there is also demeaning language that goes too far,” Halprin said on the company’s official blog. “We will no longer allow content that maliciously insults someone based on protected attributes such as their race, gender expression, or sexual orientation.
Citing content creators, the YouTube representative also said harassment can take the shape of a “pattern of repeated behavior across multiple videos or comments” even though no individual bit of content runs against the platform’s rules. To combat this, YouTube pledged to demonetize channels that “repeatedly brush up” against the guidelines.
The company did not provide details on what constitutes a “brush up” under their new policy.
