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(CNN Business) - After several months of promising to review how it handles harassment on its platform, YouTube released an update on its policy.
This Wednesday, the video platform owned by Google said it would take a “stronger position” against threats and personal attacks, among other changes that seek to address the security of its community.
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YouTube said it would now also ban "veiled" or "implied" threats, not just explicit ones. This new policy applies to content that simulates violence against a person or that includes language about physical violence. The platform also indicated that it will no longer allow "maliciously" to insult someone for characteristics such as race, gender expression or sexual orientation, whether a private individual, a YouTube personality or a public figure. The measure will be for both content and comments.
The decision comes six months after YouTube faced one of its most high profile harassment controversies in recent times. In June, the platform was at the center of criticism after refusing to ban the videos of Steven Crowder, a prominent right-wing personality. Vox journalist Carlos Maza said Crowder used the platform to attack him with homophobic and racist insults. (YouTube demonetized Crowder's videos at the time, which means he couldn't make money with the ads that were posted on his channel.)
A YouTube spokesman told CNN Business that the company wanted to update its policy since April, in response to several behaviors it observed on the platform, which range from harassment by politicians to attacks between content creators. The spokesman said Crowder's situation further highlighted the need to execute a comprehensive update of his harassment policy.
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The updated policy is part of YouTube’s broader effort to clean up its platform following the scrutiny of defense groups, lawmakers and the media. The company has been trying to improve the way it manages content: from removing videos that violate its policies to reducing the dissemination of “limit” content and prioritizing authorized voices in its search results when users search for breaking news or information.
However, the real challenge will be to enforce the new policy against harassment. YouTube has previously had problems monitoring its massive platform. In June, he said he would ban supremacist content and eliminate videos that deny well-documented atrocities such as the Holocaust and massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. However, in September, the Anti-Defamation League published a report that found at least 29 YouTube channels defending anti-Semitic and white supremacy content.
Now, six months after that update, some of the biggest hate providers remain on YouTube, including white supremacist Richard Spencer.
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As with other changes it has introduced, YouTube said it plans to enforce its harassment policy through a combination of human reviewers and automated systems. Creators can appeal decisions if they believe the platform made the wrong decision.
This Wednesday, the company reported that it had met with dozens of content creators from multiple countries and with experts in areas such as online bullying and freedom of expression to get their opinion when the policy update was taking place.
As part of the changes, those channels that are repeatedly involved in harassment behaviors, whether through multiple videos or comments, will be removed from the YouTube Partner Program, which means they cannot earn money on the platform. The company could also take more drastic measures if the harassment continues, including the removal of certain content or the removal of the entire channel.
The company said it also expects to eliminate more harassment comments as a result of the new policy. It already offers youtubers the ability to review a comment that seems potentially inappropriate before posting it on their channel. Last week, YouTube implemented this feature as the default for more accounts. The creators have the ability to opt out.
Harassment Cyberbullying CyberbullyingYouTube