YouTube bans ‘implied’ threats

YouTube yesterday broadened its anti-harassment policies to include a ban on “implied” threats along with insults based on race, gender identity or sexual orientation. “We will no longer allow content that maliciously insults someone based on protected attributes such as their race, gender expression, or sexual orientation,” global head of trust and safety Matt Halprin said in an online post. “This applies to everyone, from private individuals, to YouTube creators, to public officials.” YouTube already bans explicit threats. The changes stem in part from YouTube’s pledge earlier this year to crack down on harassment by video creators. YouTube and other sharing platforms have been under pressure to filter out hateful and violent content while fending off concerns about censorship.