YouTube tightens policies on gun videos and teens; critics say evidence will be needed in enforcement

WASHINGTON | YouTube is changing its policies on firearms videos to prevent potentially dangerous content from reaching underage users.

The Google-owned video-sharing platform announced Wednesday that it would ban videos showing how to remove firearm safety devices. In addition, videos showing homemade firearms, automatic weapons and certain firearm accessories such as silencers will be restricted to users aged 18 and over.

The changes will take effect on June 18 after safe gun advocates repeatedly called on the platform to do more to prevent gun videos from reaching the site's youngest users, potentially traumatizing them or leading them down the dark path of extremism and violence.

Katie Paul, director of the Tech Transparency Project, said the change was welcome news and a step in the right direction. But she questioned why the platform took so long to issue a new policy and said her group would be monitoring how effectively YouTube enforces its new rule.

“Guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens in America,” said Paul, whose group has long called for stricter age controls for online gun videos. “As always with YouTube, the real evidence of change will be whether the company enforces its policies. Until YouTube takes real action to prevent videos about guns and gun violence from reaching minors, its policies will remain empty words.”

Last year, researchers in Paul's group created YouTube accounts that mimicked the behavior of 9-year-old American boys interested in video games. The researchers found that YouTube's recommendation system pushed graphic videos of school shootings, tactical weapons training videos and instructions on how to build fully automatic firearms to these accounts.

One video showed an elementary school-aged girl brandishing a gun; another showed a gunman firing a .50-caliber pistol at a dummy head filled with lifelike blood and brains. Many of the videos violated YouTube's own policies against violent or gory content.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg last month called on YouTube to stop distributing firearms videos to young users, telling the company it was unable to enforce its own policies. On Wednesday, Bragg said he welcomed the company's new policy.

“We've heard firsthand from young people that YouTube's algorithm is driving them into the world of illegal and 3D-printed firearms, which has a direct impact on the safety of Manhattanites,” Bragg said in an emailed statement to reporters.

YouTube said the policy changes were designed to reflect new developments, such as 3D-printed guns, which have become increasingly available in recent years. YouTube requires users under 17 to get their parents' permission before using the site; accounts of users under 13 are linked to the parent's account.

“We regularly review our policies and consult with outside experts to ensure we draw the line in the right place,” said company spokesman Javier Hernandez.

Along with TikTok, YouTube is one of the most popular websites for children and teens. Both sites have been questioned in the past for hosting and, in some cases, promoting videos that promote gun violence, eating disorders and self-harm.

Several perpetrators of recent mass shootings used social media and video streaming platforms to glorify violence, announce, or even live stream their attacks.

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