YouTube addresses concerns over censoring LGBTQ+ content

With over a billion users, YouTube is the biggest and the most popular reservoir of media content. However, the video-sharing platform was recently under the radar for censoring LGBTQ+ content in the Restricted Mode.

Restricted mode is an optional feature that automatically filters content. Under restricted mode, the company uses community flagging, age-restrictions, and other signals to identify and filter out potentially inappropriate content.

It all came to light when British YouTuber Rowan Ellis posted a video about the issue titled “YouTube is Anti-LGBT?”

Soon the video went viral on the social media. Also, the hashtags #YouTubeIsOverParty and #YouTubeRestricted started trending on Twitter, with other users reporting that their videos about LGBT topics were hidden in Restricted Mode.

They also discovered that restricted mode was also blocking videos on themes such as dating, attraction, and inspiration from user’s feed.

Another YouTuber also posted a screenshot showing the difference with Restricted mode on, and off.

Just looked at my videos with the "restricted mode" on. Seeing a bit of a theme here...

LGBT+ content not safe for kids @YouTube? pic.twitter.com/KnhayE4h1y

— fiona ✨ (@neonfiona) March 16, 2017

In her video, Ellis pointed out why the censorship is a concern for the LGBTQ+ community. She said, “YouTube is one of the only places that queer and trans youth, gay youth, bisexual youth, pansexual youth, asexual youth, any of these kids, have a way into a community, have a way into knowledge, have a way of feeling that they are not alone.” She also claimed that about 40 of her videos had been filtered out of Restricted Mode. Without losing any time, YouTube addressed the complaint on Twitter.

A message to our community ... pic.twitter.com/oHNiiI7CVs — YouTube Creators (@YTCreators) March 20, 2017

The company further said, "The bottom line is that this feature isn’t working the way it should. We’re sorry, and we’re going to fix it."