YouTube Block LGBT+ Content with New "Restricted Mode" Feature

[Tao]

It's baffling how people don't realize saying you are straight is JUST AS SEXUAL AS SAYING YOU ARE GAY.

In that context, yes, that is what those words mean...Who's saying it doesn't? Nobody.

But you can also say "this line is straight", "I'll take that drink straight", "turn left and go straight", "that shelf isn't straight", "her hair is straight", "with a straight face", "I'm off the drugs, I'm going straight", "you're damn straight!", "that homosexual mans penis is really straight".

'Gay' is only used in reference to sexual orientation, which by its very definition comes under the term 'sexual', sos even if most of us probably wouldn't actually class the term by itself as something sexually explicit, it's still sexual...The only other thing it means (carefree) is so dated that it's really a waste of time mentioning it ever meant that, it's basically grasping at straws to do so. Sexual orientation is the only thing it means these days, unless you're from 1862.



If we're just throwing words into a filter because in a certain context they're 'sexual', we better throw 'balls', 'commando' and 'footlong' into the algorithm too.

The Youtube filter is crap, that's been well documented over the last 20 pages, but by the rules of their system it at least makes sense that 'gay' is in there as a blanket term and 'straight' isn't.

 

[Soda Fox]

Although balls can also mean any spherical object and could make scientific videos get blocked too. And footlong would cause them to list any sandwich shop advertisement. I agree with commando being blocked though.

 

[LambdaDelta]

so decided to check, and "heterosexual" gets plenty of actual het(-related) stuff by the filter

anyone want to try their flimsy ass "it's because gay is primarily about the sexual orientation" argument again?

update: same for "sexual". in fact the first result is some "sexual assault is funny" cartoon ****

 

[forestyne]

i don't see why it's so hard to be tolerant and not homophobic on a non-restrictive platform. love is love is love is love and the fact this can't be encouraged by a huge website like youtube is pretty terrible.
how about homophobes go to vimeo or something so they can watch videos on a platform just as irrelevant and unnecessary as homophobia

Exactly. YouTube should not be catering to homophobes and straight people who think that gay people shouldn't exist, like a lot of people on this thread.

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Although balls can also mean any spherical object and could make scientific videos get blocked too. And footlong would cause them to list any sandwich shop advertisement. I agree with commando being blocked though.

But they shouldn't be blocking anything that isn't sexually explicit. Blocking anything to do with homo/bisexuality is a huge slap in the face to the LGBT community who aren't doing anything wrong.

 

[Soda Fox]

so decided to check, and "heterosexual" gets plenty of actual het(-related) stuff by the filter

anyone want to try their flimsy ass "it's because gay is primarily about the sexual orientation" argument again?

update: same for "sexual". in fact the first result is some "sexual assault is funny" cartoon ****

Thanks for checking. I never use youtube so I haven't tested the filter. I encourage everyone to send angry emails to youtube and/or stop going there until they change.

Other than visibility, complaining about it here does nothing to change youtube's new policy.

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Exactly. YouTube should not be catering to homophobes and straight people who think that gay people shouldn't exist, like a lot of people on this thread.

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But they shouldn't be blocking anything that isn't sexually explicit. Blocking anything to do with homo/bisexuality is a huge slap in the face to the LGBT community who aren't doing anything wrong.

Right, as I said before staff and users should be flagging and removing things by the letter actual content but algorithms based on keywords or titles are easier so that's probably why they're doing it this way.

 

[Bowie]

Aside from the homophobic stuff, I'm pretty that this is just an easier way for YouTube to deal with inappropriate content without actually doing anything. In my experience with YouTube, they are absolutely terrible in relation to support. There is no support. There's a community forum where other users can talk about stuff, but no actual support system.

 

[Soda Fox]

Aside from the homophobic stuff, I'm pretty that this is just an easier way for YouTube to deal with inappropriate content without actually doing anything. In my experience with YouTube, they are absolutely terrible in relation to support. There is no support. There's a community forum where other users can talk about stuff, but no actual support system.

Aka one of the many reasons I don't use youtube and with this added nonsense I suggest everyone put their money where their mouth is and stop supporting youtube if they're doing something that pisses you off.

 

[Ghost Soda]

Anyone who knows me should know how I feel about this. Censorship like this is grounded in pure hate, nothing else. There's no good reason to be censoring perfectly innocent videos simply because they're not straight and cis. And anybody who thinks this doesn't matter needs to remember that plenty of kids themselves that are LGBT or questioning and youtube basically told them all that their existence needs to be censored.

So? Maybe parents don't want their kids to be exposed to that kind of thing. Just keep it off if it bugs you.

Gotta love that double standard. When people (e.g. LGBTQ+ people) want to just live their lives without having hate spewed towards them, we're "whiny SJWs" that are "censoring free speech", but when bigoted parents can't handle their kids being exposed to anybody different then them, suddenly we all have to bend over backwards for them? lel

Funny thing is if that did happen there would be no outcry. It's only when the LGBT+ is affected when it's actually newsworthy to the media.

Ummm, was there not a time not even that long ago when people saying "happy holidays" instead of "merry christmas" caused an outcry of "war on christianity!!!111"? Did I dream that up?

Well I understand it, and I also get your concern. Kids should know about sexuality and stuff, but at an early age when they're immature and not the most intelligent? Kids are curious and if they find out about any LGBT+ stuff, they'll want to know more about it. Soon enough you'll have all kids questioning their sexuality, when in reality, most kids are too young to actually truly understand their sexuality and view on love. Like.... you wouldn't explain how sex works to a kid, and sexuality is sorta on the same lines. The kid might have a gravitation towards certain people (say he's gay), but he doesn't know he's gay. Nothing will change the gayness. It won't change or hurt him if he waits, but it can hurt him if he learns too much too early, since, sexuality. It's more so because sexuality regardless of how bad it is, is sexuality. Kids don't need to be studying it. Period.

And kids questioning themselves is bad... how? Last time I checked, LGB people aren't all about "doing the do". They get childhood crushes just like hetero kids do. Why are kids allowed to be straight without argument but if they say they're gay suddenly they're "too young to really know"?

 

[DarkDesertFox]

Gotta love that double standard. When people (e.g. LGBTQ+ people) want to just live their lives without having hate spewed towards them, we're "whiny SJWs" that are "censoring free speech", but when bigoted parents can't handle their kids being exposed to anybody different then them, suddenly we all have to bend over backwards for them? lel

Isn't that a double standard trying to force us to accept what the LGBT+ feel is right when we feel it is wrong? I don't hate anyone that's part of the LGBT+ because I don't agree it. Christianity isn't about shunning or treating a group differently. We're supposed to love everyone. That doesn't mean I'm going to accept your beliefs. Anyways, wasn't the filter removed? It's time to move on people. Can't complain about something forever.

Ummm, was there not a time not even that long ago when people saying "happy holidays" instead of "merry christmas" caused an outcry of "war on christianity!!!111"? Did I dream that up?

Sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about here.

 

[N e s s]

Isn't that a double standard trying to force us to accept what the LGBT+ feel is right when we feel it is wrong? I don't hate anyone that's part of the LGBT+ because I don't agree it. Christianity isn't about shunning or treating a group differently. We're supposed to love everyone. That doesn't mean I'm going to accept your beliefs.

If you truly, honestly follow those morals everyday, then I respect you; you're doing christianity correctly. The other day a christian boy in my grade said that gays deserve to go to hell, and another christian boy in my grade said that "democrats deserve to be shot by ISIS". So yeah, thats just one of the things that peeves me about christianity, not everyone follows what Jesus taught them yet they think they're the most innocent perfect people.

 

[Dogemon]

Isn't that a double standard trying to force us to accept what the LGBT+ feel is right when we feel it is wrong? I don't hate anyone that's part of the LGBT+ because I don't agree it. Christianity isn't about shunning or treating a group differently. We're supposed to love everyone. That doesn't mean I'm going to accept your beliefs. Anyways, wasn't the filter removed? It's time to move on people. Can't complain about something forever.



Sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about here.

When "right" is them just living their damn lives, no, it isn't a double standard. When "right" is them being an average human who also HAPPENS to be gay, no, it's not a double standard either. They aren't asking for people of different moral compasses to change what they feel, but to just not use their beliefs as a weapon/excuse to degrade others, which I see far too often from fellow Christians and conservatives in real life, versus lgbtq people in real life insulting others.

Just because the filter is being looked at now because people caused a ruckus, doesn't mean we can't discuss the underlying issue of why/how these things happen. No one is forcing Christians to put gays or lesbians or trans people on a pedestal, what people are saying is that *forcing* a blindfold over your child's eyes to LGBTQ+ community is in itself hateful and breeds ignorance because they literally block access to acquiring knowledge about it. I don't see non-religious folks blocking videos on religion or people trying to block kids from accessing information about Christians, a religion many are not a fan of.

 

[AnimalCrossingPerson]

Surprised this thread hasn't been locked yet from the fuss it's creating.

Anyway, seeing as everyone's banging on about words having double meanings, has anyone tested the filter in other languages?

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Also, who actually uses restricted mode? "Protecting" your child on YouTube isn't going to stop them finding particular content in the great vastness of the internet. Honestly, either hover over their shoulder or don't even try.

"Welp, I can no longer watch Onision because my mum's a pain and I'm not smart enough to think of switching browsers, clearing cookies, using an incognito window or any of those easy solutions, so I'll just play some GTA V instead."

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And while we're post merging, as I rant about overprotective parents, kids are going to hear and see things at school.

I don't think anything on YouTube could be more traumatising than our primary school's sex ed video (we were like 10) that had a family of fully naked people wandering about the house with Bowie's "ch- ch- ch- changes" song.

 

[amanda1983]

so decided to check, and "heterosexual" gets plenty of actual het(-related) stuff by the filter

anyone want to try their flimsy ass "it's because gay is primarily about the sexual orientation" argument again?

update: same for "sexual". in fact the first result is some "sexual assault is funny" cartoon ****

Yep, I've found the same thing. I know a couple of people who've checked in other languages and of course other countries - in addition to the checking that's happened in this thread from many people.

This is a real thing. A real problem. YouTube acknowledge this. The problem is widely - and very disproportionately -affecting the LGBTQIA+ content on YouTube, and is happening right now, all over the world.

If someone wants to try and argue those facts, they'd need a significant amount of evidence to back that stance up.

This is real. If you don't *care* or don't think anything should be done to address this issue, then those are different discussions to have. Though, this thread has covered most angles including some highly objectionable ones.

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Surprised this thread hasn't been locked yet from the fuss it's creating.

Anyway, seeing as everyone's banging on about words having double meanings, has anyone tested the filter in other languages?

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Also, who actually uses restricted mode? "Protecting" your child on YouTube isn't going to stop them finding particular content in the great vastness of the internet. Honestly, either hover over their shoulder or don't even try.

"Welp, I can no longer watch Onision because my mum's a pain and I'm not smart enough to think of switching browsers, clearing cookies, using an incognito window or any of those easy solutions, so I'll just play some GTA V instead."

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And while we're post merging, as I rant about overprotective parents, kids are going to hear and see things at school.

I don't think anything on YouTube could be more traumatising than our primary school's sex ed video (we were like 10) that had a family of fully naked people wandering about the house with Bowie's "ch- ch- ch- changes" song.

Bolded sections in order :

1. Yes. In this thread alone, off the top of my head, visibleghost has. I personally know people who have tested in it italian and french.

2. I feel like this has been pretty well answered already, the answer is almost all schools, preschool/kindergarten/early learning centres, public libraries, neighbourhood houses, community centres, and many/lots of universities/colleges/tafes. Most parents have this restricted mode turned on from the time children can access the internet (supervised or not, no responsible adult wants random videos showing up as recommendations with children watching).

2. I'm not at all sure why seeing a family of people walk around their home naked - with a song by Bowie or any other artist - would be traumatising, but I'm sorry it was for you. I can't really relate to your experience as my own sex ed was excellent. The programs I've seen and heard about as an educator are all well designed, properly implemented and the nudity involved is carefully chosen and used appropriately.

 

[AnimalCrossingPerson]

1. Yes. In this thread alone, off the top of my head, visibleghost has. I personally know people who have tested in it italian and french.

2. I feel like this has been pretty well answered already, the answer is almost all schools, preschool/kindergarten/early learning centres, public libraries, neighbourhood houses, community centres, and many/lots of universities/colleges/tafes. Most parents have this restricted mode turned on from the time children can access the internet (supervised or not, no responsible adult wants random videos showing up as recommendations with children watching).

Oh. Sorry for being a little ignorant, lol.

2. I'm not at all sure why seeing a family of people walk around their home naked - with a song by Bowie or any other artist - would be traumatising, but I'm sorry it was for you. I can't really relate to your experience as my own sex ed was excellent. The programs I've seen and heard about as an educator are all well designed, properly implemented and the nudity involved is carefully chosen and used appropriately.

I wasn't serious about it being traumatic, but it did leave a lasting impression. I don't know anyone who has seen that video and can still listen to that song without thinking about it. I think the video was shown too soon.

 

[Buster Bunny]

I'm mostly neutral about LGBT people, I don't mind their life style as long one doesn't go wanting to flirt with me.

However, I cannot accept the attitude of an heterophobe who is angry just because I don't like LGBT shipping, read mangas or watch videos featuring LGBT people.

After all heterophobes double themselves as homophobes and are not worth of anyone's time.

Nobody should be ever blamed for not wanting to watch these videos.

 

[-Apples-]

I have a question about restricted mode. While it blocks anything inappropriate for children and lgbt content, how does it handle other controversial content. Like racial topics, global warming, political correctness, economic systems (such as capitalism and communism), or anything else like that? Do they get blocked too, or just the lgbt stuff?

 

[tumut]

Isn't that a double standard trying to force us to accept what the LGBT+ feel is right when we feel it is wrong? I don't hate anyone that's part of the LGBT+ because I don't agree it. Christianity isn't about shunning or treating a group differently. We're supposed to love everyone. That doesn't mean I'm going to accept your beliefs. Anyways, wasn't the filter removed? It's time to move on people. Can't complain about something forever.


Sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about here.

1. Anime is a sin.
2. You literally can pick and choose what to believe from the bible and still be Christian, so I guess its convenient to choose to not accept gays and shame them from being who they are. Or you might just be a bigot who can't wrap their heads about someone being different.
3. My family is Catholic and my religious beliefs put me in denial and guilt of being gay for a good five years. Thankfully they were accepting, but not being accepting is wrong and ****ty, and it doesn't make you a good person. Not to mention that there is nothing morally wrong with being gay, and not something you can control.
4. Get �� woke��

 

[Noir]

Nah, man. I can't believe they would do this in the first place. This isn't cool.


Just because of it may not be "typical" and actually "taboo" in the major religions that happen to condemn it, most likely because of mistranslations and cherry picking, doesn't mean it makes it okay to majorly and focus-censor that specific category. I mean, we have this problem with censorship, already. if you want to actually shield children, shield them from explicit videos. Not something as innocent as a couple making marriage vows. And no, I refuse to call them lesbians out and out at this point. Really, it makes no sense. They are human beings, like us. It doesn't make a difference.

Although I'm Christian, this is practically one of the reasons I refuse a lot of the bible's beliefs, and rather read the actual ancient text that was made... But unfortunately, I doubt even that was the pure copy since the Catholics like to remove books from that book itself. But, whatever. I digress. However, if they want to actually "restrict" properly, they should restrict things that promote misogyny, sexism, racism, prejudism at its finest, sexual graphics, violence and gore. Also gang related things. I mean, honestly. If you want to go that far, go do the others. it'll make you look far less bigoted and hypocritical.

 

[AnimalCrossingPerson]

You literally can pick and choose what to believe from the bible and still be Christian

Not a very good one if you really want to go for it and become Ned Flanders. Granted, I think there are contradictions between some stuff - I've not really looked into it too deeply.

 

[visibleghost]

I have a question about restricted mode. While it blocks anything inappropriate for children and lgbt content, how does it handle other controversial content. Like racial topics, global warming, political correctness, economic systems (such as capitalism and communism), or anything else like that? Do they get blocked too, or just the lgbt stuff?

idk you can turn it on yourself to see what videos are blocked. i dont think theyve released any key words or how the restricted mode algorithm works. it sounds like it is mostly a filter for sexual content and violence so idk sbout politicsl issues