Can you really ban anything from the internet? YouTube’s restrictions on certain firearm videos is leading to some unexpected consequences.
YouTube recently instituted a major updates to its policies on videos involving weapons. A stepped-up ban includes videos involving direct sales of guns or those with links to sites that sell them.
Bloomberg has also reported that YouTube videos cannot have tutorials on manufacturing firearms or associated items like magazines or silencers. “We routinely make updates and adjustments to our enforcement guidelines across all of our policies,” a company spokesperson told DMN.
“While we’ve long prohibited the sale of firearms, we recently notified creators of updates we will be making around content promoting the sale or manufacture of firearms and their accessories.”
…from YouTube to Pornhub
But the recent move from YouTube is stirring action about firearm enthusiasts. The National Shooting Sports Foundation, a gun industry lobbying group, called this new policy worrisome. YouTube isn’t planning on fully enforcing the new policies until next month. But some gun enthusiasts have already seen their pages become inoperative.
Several channels have noticed that their videos have disappeared. Accordingly, the pro-gun set has been looking for alternatives where they could still reach their audience in social media.
YouTube’s recently-updated policy on weapons and firearms
A channel devoted to firearms, InRange TV, already stated through Facebook that it will begin uploading videos to an adult content website, PornHub.
InRange TV posted that “YouTube’s newly-released vague and one-sided firearms policy makes it abundantly clear that YouTube cannot be counted upon to be a safe harbor for a wide variety of views and subject matter.”
“For this reason, InRange TV is pleased to announce its expansion onto the PornHub network.”
Nothing against Pornhub. But, why Pornhub?
The answer: its enduring values (of course): “PornHub has a history of being a proactive voice in the online community, as well as operating a resilient and robust streaming platform.”
Actually, this is something that the music and other industries have also experienced. Just recently, Korean boy band BTS found their pay-only videos uploaded onto the adult site. And even complete Hollywood films — including various Star Wars movies — have crept onto the platform.
At this stage, we’re unclear what Pornhub will react to the pro-gun uploads. But hey: most Pornhub videos already feature plenty of bangs!
I suppose some people get off on this type of stuff.
Open Letter to YouTube. Please feel free to copy and share anywhere you wish without alteration:
Dear YouTube,
Due to your recent revised “Terms of Service” effectively banning Firearms Tech Channels and their videos, I would like to inform you that you will no longer have my business or that of many others.
This is a crystal clear violation of the 1st and 2nd Amendments of our Constitution! It’s, quite honestly, fascism. Worse, it’s coming from a Content Provider that still allows endless videos of adults and older children being breastfeed which it claims to allow based on the 1st Amendment, which is clear hypocrisy. Not to mention allowing countless videos of people committing suicide or shootings on the streets along with videos of extreme video game violence among many other examples.
Due to these violations of the rights of Gun Owners, who have consistently followed stringent Federal Legal requirements and violated no laws while countless other videos that are not being banned show illegal activity or violate social morals, due to these new actions by YouTube I will be banning YOU!
I will remove all YouTube apps from the smart devices and phones within my home and advise my extended family members to do the same. Furthermore, I will BLOCK YouTube’s web address from our wired and wireless routers, as well as anyone else’s routers whom I can convince to join this movement!
Should YouTube reconsider, then these things will be undone, but as long as YouTube continues to behave in such a manner I will work to BAN YouTube everywhere I can and provide folks with information as to alternatives to your parent company, Google, as well.
Sincerely,
Frank Russell
Technically, the first amendment prevents Congress from passing laws that prohibit free speech. Google is not Congress, at least last I checked. Google also isn’t doing anything to infringe on people’s rights to bear arms. I don’t think there are any constitutional violations in their terms of service. But if you would like to boycott them, you are of course welcome to.