YouTube has unveiled a more rigorous plan to curb hate speech, extremist views, and false content on its platform amid mounting criticism over its handling of potentially harmful videos.
In a blog post published Wednesday, the firm said it will be taking further steps to eliminate videos that promote violence and extremism, such as Nazi glorification and white supremacy.
It will also remove hoax videos that attempt to debunk known tragedies, like the Sandy Hook shooting and the Holocaust.
The action is expected to result in the removal of thousands of channels and videos that violate its newly established policies around supremacist content.
However, YouTube didn't name specific content or accounts that would be affected.
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YouTube has unveiled a more rigorous plan to curb hate speech, extremist views, and false content on its platform amid mounting criticism over its handling of potentially harmful videos
YouTube will no longer allow supremacist videos on its site.
This includes videos saying a group is superior in order to justify discrimination, segregation or exclusion, based on qualities like age, gender, race, caste, religion, sexual orientation or veteran status.
Nazi ideologies, Holocaust denial and Sandy Hook hoax conspiracies are just a few examples of content that will no longer be allowed.
YouTube didn't name any specific videos or channels that would be removed as a result of the move.
The company is also taking steps to prevent the spread of 'borderline content,' or videos that come close to violating its policies around hate speech or misinformation.
The Google-owned video sharing site says the new policy will go into effect today, though it could take several months for its systems to ‘fully ramp up.’
YouTube added that it expects to expand the categories covered by the policy 'over the next several months.'
'Today, we're taking another step in our hate speech policy by specifically prohibiting videos alleging that a group is superior in order to justify discrimination, segregation or exclusion based on qualities like age, gender, race, caste, religion, sexual orientation or veteran status,' the company wrote in post to its site.
'This would include, for example, videos that promote or glorify Nazi ideology, which is inherently discriminatory.
'Finally, we will remove content denying that well-documented violent events, like the Holocaust or the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, took place,' YouTube added.
The firm
