While the Internet promotes free thought, free speech and the ability for the world to express itself, companies are attempting to find a balance between welcoming free expression and censoring inappropriate content.
YouTube is trying to find that balance. The popular online video-sharing Web site has 280 million visitors monthly, with members posting 13 hours of video every minute. With the volume of videos posted, shared and viewed on the site, the company says it is cracking down on what kinds of videos are posted.
Specifically, YouTube is putting a tighter grip on content considered sexually suggestive. Videos with sexually suggestive — but not prohibited — content will be age-restricted and available only to users who are 18 or older, according to the company.
Company officials say they aren’t asking for the respect reserved for nuns, but want users to not abuse the service.
Videos considered sexually suggestive will also be demoted on YouTube’s Most Viewed and Top Favorite pages. In testing, YouTube found that, of the thousands of videos on those pages, several each day are automatically demoted for being too graphic. Those are the videoes that get flagged by the community for being inappropriate.
Crossing the Line
YouTube, which is available in 19 regions, is being very clear about what kind of videos users can post, warning against pornographic videos even if the user is in the video. YouTube warns users that it works closely with law enforcement.
“We remain serious about enforcing these rules,” a company blog posting read. “Remember, violations of these guidelines could result in removal of your video, and repeated violations will lead to termination of your account.”
The crackdown does not end with porn. Users are also being told to avoid posting videos showing animal abuse, drug abuse, or bomb making. Dead bodies and gross videos are also prohibited.
Like…