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[Kacho]

YouTube is updating its policies to age-restrict more content containing video game scenes with "graphic violence," the company announced on Tuesday. Starting November 17, the updates will prevent accounts under 18 and signed-out users from watching videos with games focused on showing "realistic human characters" involved in scenes of "mass violence against non-combatants" or torture. It'll also cover online gambling, even when no actual money is involved.

"Our policies are designed to evolve alongside the digital world," the statement read. "We're making these updates to keep pace with new trends, like gambling with digital goods, and to more closely align our guidelines for mature content with industry standards."

Additionally, videos featuring realistic depictions of human violence, including torture or large-scale harm to non-combatants, may face new restrictions if the violent scenes are prolonged, zoomed in, or central to the video. However, no specific examples were given, so it's unclear if it pertains to over-the-top violence like Mortal Kombat or something more grounded, like in Call of Duty.

The current policy reads, "Generally, we do not remove dramatized violence when the content or metadata lets us know that the content is fictional, or when it's apparent from the content itself, such as with animated content or video games."

For creators, YouTube anticipates that most channels will see minimal disruption but encourages proactive compliance before the policy takes full effect. Existing videos that violate the new rules may be removed or age-restricted without resulting in a strike, allowing creators to adjust or edit content using YouTube's built-in trimming and blurring tools.

YouTube Is Changing Its Guidelines For "Graphic Violence" In Gaming

Starting in November, YouTube will age-restrict more content showing "graphic violence" in video games.

www.gamespot.com

 

[Loomy]

Sure. Maybe do something about the exploitation of kids first though.

 

[Lionel Richie]

You voted for it.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Can't wait for the "private company has a right to do what they want with the platform" crowd. Also, how about we just make YT available from the age of 17 and up?

 

[kiphalfton]

You voted for it.

Master Roshi is right.

Sure. Maybe do something about the exploitation of kids first though.

Why do that?

Only thing anybody ever considers is "what is the least I can do, to make it look like I did something, and still placate the most amount of people".

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

Good.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

Having to sign in to watch stuff is already super annoying if you're just on your phone or something, so that's not great.

But I mean... I kinda get it. Aside from the login being annoying, what's the issue people have with this? Does it meaningfully affect monetization or something along those lines? Honest question.

 

[Neon Xenon]

Sure.

But YouTube being YouTube, I expect them to find a way to fuck it up somehow.

 

[yogaflame]

It is okay since we have young ones at home. But I hope they also include fake news, push and force twisted woke agendas especially those pride and trans agenda crap, and even those toxic and twisted influencer which sometimes misled people to commit evil things like suicide, or crime, or murder.

 

[Lambogenie]

Good, but hope it's as easy as that and doesn't become a whole show your ID thing...

 

[Skifi28]

YouTube has been a shitshow lately with the ridiculous amount of ads, adblock fiasco and throttling accounts. We need a new alternative instead of constantly finding workarounds.

 

[pudel]

Its just less YT for me than.

 

[Mownoc]

Yes! Down with the 12 year old cod addicts!

Awww it's just for torture and violence against non-combatants. Kids can still watch demons getting ripped in half on doom.

 

[CentralScrutinizer]

I actually support this. I'm not a fan of games that have fetish levels of glorified or realistic torture-esque violence.

I do my damndest to not play any realistic violent games around my kids. Had to make some sacrifices over the years.

 

[Poppinfresh]

I wonder if YouTube age-restricts videos pushing LGBTQ and trans-agenda content to minors? My guess is: Probably not.

There seems to be a growing movement on the left to scapegoat video game violence these days. According to the left, that trans shooter didn't shoot up the school because they were mentally ill, hopped up on a bunch of hormones, and getting advice from other mentally ill people on Reddit, they did it because they played Doom, or some such bullshit.

 

[Drell]

But don't they already ask us if a video is for kids or not when uploading? Can't they just prevent these video from appearing in any search on youtube kids and completely blocking them from being displayed in any youtube kids account?

If you've got a feature to protect kids already in place, why do you annoy adults with bullshit censoring more and more? Please yourube, do make sense!

Edit: Ok I can't read apparently that's the point of age restriction so I don't see the problem.

 

[nush]

There seems to be a growing movement on the left to scapegoat video game violence these days.

Nope, that was going on in the 90's, died off for a bit and now they are back at it.

 

[StueyDuck]

 

[Poppinfresh]

Nope, that was going on in the 90's, died off for a bit and now they are back at it.

In the 90s and early 2000s, it was generally the right pushing the video game violence narrative; today, it's the left pushing it in order to cover for the degeneracy they want to push.

 

[Isurus]

I thought that was the point of the YouTube Kids app. That's what we had our kids use when they were younger and filtered out all the shit that really young kids might not process in the right way without context. Regardless, I don't have an issue with this. There is too much degenerate shit out there and we should stop normalizing it.

 

[Generic]

Preparing terrain for the online ID.

 

[Poppinfresh]

Preparing terrain for the online ID.

"Digital ID" already exists in the form of cookies, tracking, and digital fingerprinting.

Nothing and no one is truly anonymous on the internet, at least not compared to 15 - 20 years ago.

 

[Zeusexy]

Each day, a new restriction. What's the purpose of YouTube kids then? This is so fucking stupid.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

But I hope they also include fake news, push and force twisted woke agendas especially those pride and trans agenda crap, and even those toxic and twisted influencer which sometimes misled people to commit evil things like suicide, or crime, or murder.

They won't.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

What's the purpose of YouTube kids then? This is so fucking stupid.

You can't monetise YT kids so

I have kids at home, there are so many channels or apps that serve them cartoons without being disrupted by ads or pushing algo brain rot.

 

[DaciaJC]

So, what, games like GTA are effectively going to be banned on YouTube? Half the fun in them is messing with pedestrians, sorry, "non-combatants."

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

You voted for it.

You voted for Google?


Think of the children needing Souls game help!

 

[Zeusexy]

You can't monetise YT kids so

I have kids at home, there are so many channels or apps that serve them cartoons without being disrupted by ads or pushing algo brain rot.

I have a small channel (5k subs) and I notice age restricted videos perform waaaay worse. Also, my videos are already marked as not for kids, so why the ulterior restriction? I just don't understand their logic.

 

[saintjules]

 

[Hudo]

What's the purpose of YouTube kids then?

To have a platform where predators can post manipulative and exploitative vids and know that kids will most likely watch it.

 

[DirtInUrEye]

They should have been forced to do this years ago.

 

[That Damn Kid]

 

[EverydayBeast]

It's all about the kids it's interesting when YouTube carried online videos nobody cared about the kids, it's unbelievable.

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

that will be annoying for linking age-gated videos, I tended to use exactly IGN and Gamespot to link non age-gate videos; I guess they really want to force people to make accounts and be logged in all the time for that juicy data.

 

[Tg89]

Annoying I guess but as far as the internet knows I've been 35 since I was 9.

 

[DirtInUrEye]

Oh no, some more people are about to be annoyed by internet things again.

 

[FoxMcChief]

Ok