YouTube Takes Heat From Creators Over ‘Restricted’ LGBTQ Videos
YouTube is taking fire from many of its biggest creators over concerns that its filtering system is unnecessarily shielding certain LGBTQ-related videos from users. The issue stems from YouTube’s “Restricted Mode” feature, which it says is an “optional feature used by a very small subset of users who want to have a more limited YouTube experience.” As many YouTubers began pointing out beginning late last week, when “Restricted Mode” is activated is censors videos that reference same-sex issues, including coming out videos.
YouTube’s “Restricted Mode” uses “community flagging, age-restrictions, and other signals to identify and filter out potentially inappropriate content” and is a popular tool among parents, schools, and libraries to avoid blatantly NSFW content from surfacing. Responding to criticism (and the hashtag #YouTubeIsOverParty) on Sunday, YouTube insisted that “LGBTQ+ videos are available in Restricted Mode, but videos that discuss more sensitive issues may not be. We regret any confusion this has caused and are looking into your concerns.”
A message to our community … pic.twitter.com/oHNiiI7CVs
— YouTube Creators (@YTCreators) March 20, 2017
YouTube’s explanation was met with frustration from many top creators, along with Canadian pop-rock duo Tegan and Sara, which noticed on Sunday that its video for the song “U-Turn” had been restricted. “Nothing gay in it accept us. Our dancing IS pretty bad. Must be why? @youtube is it our dancing?” they asked on Twitter.
