YouTube is updating its policies to age-restrict more content containing video game scenes with “graphic violence,” the company announced on Tuesday. Starting November 17, the updates 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. It’ll also cover online gambling, even when no actual money is involved.
“Our policies are designed to evolve alongside the digital world,” the statement read. “We’re making these updates to keep pace with new trends, like gambling with digital goods, and to more closely align our guidelines for mature content with industry standards.”
The policy changes introduce clearer rules around three main categories of content: online gambling, social casino games, and graphic gaming content. YouTube will expand its enforcement on gambling-related material to include digital goods with monetary value–such as in-game skins, cosmetics, and NFTs–if they are linked to non-Google-certified gambling sites or apps.
Also, content that depicts or promotes social casino games–even when no real money is exchanged– will now be age-restricted to protect younger audiences. YouTube stopped allowing creators to verbally mention or display online gambling services not approved by Google back in March.
Additionally, videos featuring realistic depictions of human violence, including torture or large-scale harm to non-combatants, may face new restrictions if the violent scenes are prolonged, zoomed in, or central to the video. However, no specific examples were given, so it’s unclear if it pertains to over-the-top violence like Mortal Kombat or something more grounded, like in Call of Duty.
The current policy reads, “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.”
For creators, YouTube anticipates that most channels will see minimal disruption but encourages proactive compliance before the policy takes full effect. Existing videos that violate the new rules may be removed or age-restricted without resulting in a strike, allowing creators to adjust or edit content using YouTube’s built-in trimming and blurring tools. YouTube will notify creators via email if their videos are restricted or removed, and creators will retain the right to appeal any enforcement decisions.
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