YouTube has age-restricted some gun content and banned videos that explain how to remove the safety from a gun. It's probably not going to have enough influence to finally get US politicians to implement proper gun control, but at least something is happening.
Engadget reports that YouTube has quietly updated its firearms policy to restrict content related to automatic rifles and homemade guns to viewers over the age of 18. It's also banning everyone from demonstrations of how to disable some gun safeties, such as those that restrict magazine discharge.
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“Starting June 18, 2024, certain content showing how to remove the safety will be prohibited,” a notice at the top of YouTube's firearms policy reads. “Content showing the use of homemade firearms, automatic rifles, and certain firearm accessories will be age-restricted.”
It's unclear when YouTube made these changes, but firearms were not listed in its policy as of late February. Mashable has reached out to YouTube for comment.
In a new section of YouTube's firearms policy, the platform states that videos showing the use of automatic or homemade guns (including 3D-printed guns) will be restricted to viewers over the age of 18. Videos showing the use of high-capacity magazines, homemade silencers, or accessories that simulate or modify guns for automatic fire will also be age-restricted.
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“Even if content does not violate our policies, it may be inappropriate for viewers under the age of 18,” YouTube's updated policy states.
“These guidelines apply to the use of firearms in real life and may not apply to the use of firearms in artistic content, such as films. They may also make exceptions for content in the public interest, such as military or police footage, news footage, or footage from battlefields.”
If you're over 18, you can continue to watch people shoot automatic rifles on YouTube to your heart's content, but creators can no longer post videos explaining how to remove the safety on certain guns (which we sincerely hope no one does). This ban does not include videos showing the removal of safeties that temporarily disable a gun, such as gun locks.
YouTube's firearms policy previously stated that you could link to websites that discuss firearms, so long as they didn't directly sell firearms or prohibited accessories. This policy has now been updated to clarify that the linked website cannot also give away said gear for free. This is a loophole that needs to be closed, and it's how I discovered the frightening fact that free firearms exist.