YouTube unveils stricter anti-harassment policy after criticism
YouTube says it will ban "veiled or implied threats" and malicious insults based on protected attributes under its tougher new anti-harassment policy.
The platform on Wednesday rolled out its policy update after in June promising to "re-examine" how it addresses harassment on the site. YouTube was facing criticism at the time especially after Vox journalist Carlos Maza called attention to Steven Crowder's repeated attacks in multiple videos that mocked Maza's sexual orientation and ethnicity.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
YouTube also says it may suspend partner channels if they repeatedly "brush up against our harassment policy" and may terminate channels that engage in repeated harassment.
Several of Crowder's videos attacking Maza would be removed under the new policy, YouTube Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan told Recode. Still, Maza isn't ready to celebrate.
"It doesn't fix the problem — which is not that these videos exist, but that YouTube is designed to make videos like this in perpetuity for profit," Maza told Recode. "I'm skeptical about YouTube's willingness to enforce these policies. The truth is, they should have penalized and prohibited this kind of content already."
-
Political cartoons for February 19Cartoons Thursday’s political cartoons include a suspicious package, a piece of the cake, and more
-
The Gallivant: style and charm steps from Camber SandsThe Week Recommends Nestled behind the dunes, this luxury hotel is a great place to hunker down and get cosy
-
The President’s Cake: ‘sweet tragedy’ about a little girl on a baking mission in IraqThe Week Recommends Charming debut from Hasan Hadi is filled with ‘vivid characters’
-
Witkoff and Kushner tackle Ukraine, Iran in GenevaSpeed Read Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held negotiations aimed at securing a nuclear deal with Iran and an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine
-
Pentagon spokesperson forced out as DHS’s resignsSpeed Read Senior military adviser Col. David Butler was fired by Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin is resigning
-
Judge orders Washington slavery exhibit restoredSpeed Read The Trump administration took down displays about slavery at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia
-
Hyatt chair joins growing list of Epstein files losersSpeed Read Thomas Pritzker stepped down as executive chair of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation over his ties with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
-
Trump’s EPA kills legal basis for federal climate policySpeed Read The government’s authority to regulate several planet-warming pollutants has been repealed
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
-
Bondi, Democrats clash over Epstein in hearingSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi ignored survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanded that Democrats apologize to Trump
