YouTube Releases New Harassment Policy, to "Tackle Hate"

YouTube has just announced an update to its harassment policy, potentially punishing content creators who harass others on the platform. The blog post released Wednesday morning lists a new approach to those who engage in threats or personal attacks.

"We will not tolerate harassment and we believe the steps outlined below will contribute to our mission by making YouTube a better place for anyone to share their story or opinion," the post said.

Creators that share "explicit...veiled or implied threats" as well as "demeaning language that goes too far" based on a person's "qualities like age, gender, race, caste, religion, sexual orientation or veteran status" may now have their videos removed. The post specifically mentions deniers of the Holocaust and Sandy Hook as being inappropriate and likely to be removed.

Creators in the YouTube Partner Program, which allows monetization of video content, that consistently engage in harassment campaigns that disregard the site's new policies will be suspended. Also, if a user is watching content that may be "close" to violating their polcies, more friendly news sources might be recommended in the "watch next" panel.

The post makes no mention of how these new rules will be enforced, either by automated algorithms or by human moderation.

Over the course of 2019, YouTube has implemented multiple changes to its algorithm in an attempt to curb hate speech and vitriol on the streaming service. In January, recommendations ,which appear alongside videos to continue watching, were tweaked so that the algorithm would suggest less extreme content. Then in June, after VOX reporter Carlos Mazza endured a swarm of negativity from Steven Crowder's fan base, YouTube announced it would ban content it deems racist or supportive of white supremacy.

YouTube's algorithm promotes videos with high watch time and engagement, which often fits the mold of conspiracy theory videos. Making it so threats based on a person's race or sexual orientation can result in bans is a valid step toward solving a present problem. But unless the rule is strictly enforced, it's unclear how much this will affect YouTube's bottom line. As social networks like Twitter and Facebook continue to take steps to combat hate speech in all varieties, YouTube's update is the latest measure to follow suit.

What are your thoughts on YouTube's new harassment guidelines? Will these rules keep users safe, or do they step on liberties related to free speech? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section!