YouTube will age-restrict more content showing ‘graphic violence’ in video games
YouTube is set to implement a significant policy update aimed at increasing age restrictions on content that showcases graphic violence in video games. Announced on Tuesday, this change will take effect on November 17th and will particularly impact videos featuring realistic human characters engaged in scenes of mass violence against non-combatants or torture. Under this new policy, accounts under the age of 18, as well as users who are not signed in, will be barred from viewing such content. This move underscores YouTube’s ongoing commitment to protecting younger audiences and fostering a responsible platform.
The policy update introduces a more nuanced approach to determining what constitutes graphic violence. YouTube will consider factors such as the duration of violent scenes and whether they are the main focus of the video. For instance, scenes that depict violence in a zoomed-in manner or are non-fleeting may be more likely to receive age restrictions. While the specifics of how this will apply to popular video games like *Grand Theft Auto* or the controversial *Call of Duty* mission known as “No Russian” were not detailed in the announcement, a YouTube spokesperson indicated that creators might have options to modify their content to avoid restrictions, such as blurring violent scenes.
In addition to tightening its stance on graphic violence in gaming content, YouTube is also expanding its restrictions on online gambling. The platform will now prohibit creators from directing viewers to online gambling content that involves digital goods, including video game skins and NFTs. This follows a previous policy update in March, where YouTube began limiting the visibility of approved online gambling content for users under 18. With these changes, YouTube aims to adapt its policies to the evolving digital landscape, ensuring that its platform remains a safe environment for younger users while balancing the interests of content creators.
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YouTube is updating its policy to age-restrict more content containing video game scenes with “graphic violence,”
the company announced on Tuesday
. The update will go into effect on November 17th and will prevent accounts under 18 and signed-out users from watching videos with games focused on showing “realistic human characters” involved in scenes of “mass violence against non-combatants” or torture.
When choosing whether to restrict a video, YouTube says it will take the length of the graphic scene into account, as well as whether it’s zoomed in or the main focus of a scene. It will also evaluate whether the video shows violence targeted at a character “that looks like a real human.” YouTube’s post doesn’t clarify if this applies to the violence seen in games like
Grand Theft Auto
, a
Call of Duty
sequence like the infamous
“No Russian” mission
, or other kinds of realistically rendered scenes.
However, YouTube spokesperson Boot Bullwinkle said in a statement to
The Verge
that “certain content may be age-restricted if it’s non-fleeting or zoomed in,” adding that “there may be ways the creator can choose to play the mission to avoid content that would lead to an age restriction.” Creators can also choose to blur or obscure the violence, according to Bullwinkle.
The update builds upon
YouTube’s existing policies
, which state that the platform may restrict videos featuring “dramatized violence” focused on torture, severe injuries, or violent deaths with blood, with an exception for games. The current policy says, “Generally, we do not remove dramatized violence when the content or metadata lets us know that the content is fictional, or when it’s apparent from the content itself, such as with animated content or video games.”
“YouTube’s policies are designed to adapt to the evolving digital world, and these updates reflect our ongoing commitment to protect younger users and foster a responsible platform,” Bullwinkle said.
In addition to stricter policies surrounding video games, the update will also prevent creators from directing users to online gambling content involving digital goods, like video game skins, cosmetics, or NFTs.
YouTube stopped allowing creators
to verbally mention or display online gambling services not approved by Google in March. The platform started blocking approved online gambling content for users under 18 at this time, and now it’s planning to age-restrict social casino content as well.
Update, October 28th:
Added clarification from YouTube.
