Traditionally, any video can be “flagged” by a YouTube user if they feel it violates the terms of service. An actual YouTube staff member then views the video and decides if it is to be limited to viewers of 18, removed or left alone. Recently however, YouTube has changed the flagging system into a more detailed and seemingly stricter flagging policy.
While the removal of copyrighted material, pornography or graphic violence is understandable, videos can now be removed for being “Suggestive, but Without Nudity” or classified as “Other Dangerous Acts” along with 15 additional categories.
“Suggestive but Without Nudity”? This seems rather vague and could be applied to probably 80% of YouTube content. One such victim of this flagging was the user “CiamMusic” for the UK band, CIAM. Their music video clip for “Egyptian Animal” featured two androgynous/animal cartoon figures running set to music. Keep in mind this was not live-action, but a moving graphic of two figures. The only thing remotely “suggestive” could be that they had nipples. Still, the last time I checked we all have nipples- even animals. Even cartoon animals apparently.
It seems, however, that these policies don’t apply to everyone, particularly YouTube Partners. YouTube Partners receive a small portion of YouTube’s profits for their content and in turn create substantial views for the online giant. One example of this nepotistic treatment is the NoGoodTV channel.
NoGoodTV seems to feature only suggestive material. Their videos routinely contain scantily clad women, interview playmates, suggestive dancing and cursing. In fact, NoGoodTV’s recent upload of Endeverafter’s “Baby Baby Baby” music video contained violence, sexually explicate actions and poll dancing strippers- all without so much as an over-18 warning.
The internet belongs to no single nation, no single social or political group and certainly no single set of morals. YouTube is one of the loudest voices on the internet and has responsibility to provide an unbiased view of censorship.
All YouTubers are equal, but some YouTubers are more equal than others.
