YouTubers fight back as LGBTQ+ content is blocked

youtube lgbtq censorship

YouTube is blocking LGBTQ+ content in its restricted mode, and content creators aren’t pleased.

According to the platform, the mode is used to “screen out potentially objectionable content that you may prefer not to see or don’t want others in your family to see on YouTube.”

“We use community flagging, age-restrictions, and other signals to identify and filter out potentially inappropriate content,” it writes.

Tyler Oakley — one of YouTube’s most popular creators with over eight million subscribers — was one of the first to pick up on the censorship.

YouTube told The Guardian that Restricted Mode is used by a “tiny subset of users” and that sensitive topics “that cover subjects like health, politics and sexuality may not appear.” But if that’s the case, the algorithm doesn’t work. Oakley’s video that was censored was about “black LGBTQ+ trailblazers” that inspire him. The video acts more as a history lesson than one of sex ed.

‘With the click of a button YouTube’s restricted mode makes me appear straight’

Other YouTubers have picked up on the strange screening as well.

Melanie Murphy, a YouTuber who uses her platform to discuss bisexuality among other things, saw many of her videos hidden in Restricted Mode. One even included a candid talk about menstruation and the products she prefers using.

YouTube has since tweeted an apology, but popular creators Jenna Marbles and Hank Green didn’t feel it was honest.

Restricted Mode is still up and censoring LGBT content at the time of writing.

Featured image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr (CC 2.0, resized)

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