YouTube recently loosened the leash on its video policy for content creators. As of 2 December, YouTube says that scripted and simulated violent content inside video games will be treated “the same as other types of scripted content”.
What this essentially means that any gaming video uploaded to YouTube – containing scripted or simulated violence – will have considerably fewer restrictions. In other words, any and future game upload won’t necessarily be blocked or age-restricted.
It should be made clear that while the restrictions are fewer, YouTube still reserves the right to block and restrict videos that contain excessive violence. For example, the video site can still restrict a video if “violent or gory imagery” is the primary focus of the video. Or if it focuses on specific parts that are deemed as the “most graphically violent” of the video.
While content creators can breathe a sigh of relief, it should be pointed out that there’s still a possibility that YouTube’s current algorithm may still have some difficulty determining the difference between real and fake violence, especially when human actors are involved.
