YouTube loosens rules guiding the moderation of videos
SAN FRANCISCO – For years, YouTube has removed videos with derogatory slurs, misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines and election falsehoods, saying the content violated the platform's rules.
But since US President Donald Trump's return to the White House, YouTube has encouraged its content moderators to leave up videos with content that may break the platform's rules rather than remove them, as long as the videos are considered to be in the public interest. Those would include discussions of political, social and cultural issues.
The policy shift, which hasn't been publicly disclosed, made YouTube the latest social media platform to back off efforts to police online speech in the wake of Republican pressure to stop moderating content. In January, Meta made a similar move, ending a fact-checking program on social media posts. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, followed in the footsteps of X, Elon Musk's social platform, and turned responsibility for policing content over to users.
But unlike Meta and X, YouTube has not made public statements about relaxing its content moderation. The online video service introduced its new policy in mid-December in training material that was reviewed by The New York Times.
For videos considered to be in the public interest, YouTube raised the threshold for the amount of offending content permitted to half a video, from a quarter of a video. The platform also encouraged moderators to leave up those videos, which would include City Council meetings, campaign rallies and political conversations. The policy distances the platform from some of its pandemic practices, such as when it removed videos of local council meetings and a discussion between Florida's governor, Ron DeSantis, and a panel of scientists, citing medical misinformation.
The expanded exemptions could benefit political commentators whose lengthy videos blend news coverage with opinions and claims on a variety of topics, particularly as YouTube takes on a more prominent role as a leading distributor of podcasts. The policy also helps the video platform avoid attacks by politicians and activists frustrated by its treatment of content about the origins of Covid, the 2020 election and Hunter Biden, former President Joe Biden's son.
YouTube continuously updates its guidance for content moderators on topics surfacing in the public discourse, said Nicole Bell, a company spokesperson. It retires policies that no longer make sense, as it did in 2023 for some Covid misinformation, and strengthens policies when warranted, as it did this year to prohibit content directing people to gambling websites, according to Bell.
In the first three months of this year, YouTube removed 192,586 videos because of hateful and abusive content, a 22 per cent increase from a year earlier.
'Recognising that the definition of 'public interest' is always evolving, we update our guidance for these exceptions to reflect the new types of discussion we see on the platform today,' Bell said in a statement. She added: 'Our goal remains the same: to protect free expression on YouTube while mitigating egregious harm.'
Critics say the changes by social media platforms have contributed to the rapid spread of false assertions and have the potential to increase digital hate speech. Last year on X, a post inaccurately said 'Welfare offices in 49 states are handing out voter registration applications to illegal aliens', according to the Center for Countering Digital Hate, which studies misinformation and hate speech. The post, which would have been removed before recent policy changes, was seen 74.8 million times.
For years, Meta has removed about 277 million pieces of content annually, but under the new policies, much of that content could stay up, including comments like 'Black people are more violent than whites', said Imran Ahmed, the centre's CEO.
'What we're seeing is a rapid race to the bottom,' he said. The changes benefit the companies by reducing the costs of content moderation, while keeping more content online for user engagement, he added. 'This is not about free speech. It's about advertising, amplification and ultimately profits.'
YouTube has in the past put a priority on policing content to keep the platform safe for advertisers. It has long forbidden nudity, graphic violence and hate speech. But the company has always given itself latitude for interpreting the rules. The policies allow videos that violate YouTube's rules, generally a small set, to remain on the platform if there is sufficient educational, documentary, scientific or artistic merit.
The new policies, which were outlined in the training materials, are an expansion of YouTube's exceptions. They build on changes made before the 2024 election, when the company began permitting clips of electoral candidates on the platform even if the candidates violated its policies, the training material said.
Previously, YouTube removed a so-called public interest video if a quarter of the content broke the platform's rules. As of Dec 18, YouTube's trust and safety officials told content moderators that half a video could break YouTube's rules and stay online.
Other content that mentions political, social and cultural issues has also been exempted from YouTube's usual content guidelines. The platform determined that videos are in the public interest if creators discuss or debate elections, ideologies, movements, race, gender, sexuality, abortion, immigration, censorship and other issues.
Megan A Brown, a doctoral student at the University of Michigan who researches the online information ecosystem, said YouTube's looser policies were a reversal from a time when it and other platforms 'decided people could share political speech but they would maintain some decorum'. She fears that YouTube's new policy 'is not a way to achieve that'.
During training on the new policy, the trust and safety team said content moderators should err against restricting content when 'freedom of expression value may outweigh harm risk'. If employees had doubts about a video's suitability, they were encouraged to take it to their superiors rather than remove it.
YouTube employees were presented with real examples of how the new policies had already been applied. The platform gave a pass to a user-created video titled RFK Jr. Delivers SLEDGEHAMMER Blows to Gene-Altering JABS which violated YouTube's policy against medical misinformation by incorrectly claiming that COVID vaccines alter people's genes.
The company's trust and safety team decided the video shouldn't be removed because public interest in the video 'outweighs the harm risk', the training material said. The video was deemed newsworthy because it presented contemporary news coverage of recent actions on Covid vaccines by the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F Kennedy Jr. The video also mentioned political figures such as Vice President JD Vance, Elon Musk and Megyn Kelly, boosting its 'newsworthiness'.
The video's creator also discussed a university medical study and presented news headlines about people experiencing adverse effects from Covid vaccines, 'signaling this is a highly debated topic (and a sensitive political topic)', according to the materials. Because the creator didn't explicitly recommend against vaccination, YouTube decided that the video had a low risk of harm.
Currently, the video is no longer available on YouTube. It is unclear why.
Another video shared with the staff contained a slur about a transgender person. YouTube's trust and safety team said the 43-minute video, which discussed hearings for Trump administration Cabinet appointees, should stay online because the description had only a single violation of the platform's harassment rule forbidding a 'malicious expression against an identifiable individual'.
A video from South Korea featured two commentators talking about the country's former President Yoon Suk Yeol. About halfway through the more-than-three-hour video, one of the commentators said he imagined seeing Yoon turned upside down in a guillotine so that the politician 'can see the knife is going down'.
The video was approved because most of it discussed Yoon's impeachment and arrest. In its training material, YouTube said it had also considered the risk for harm low because 'the wish for execution by guillotine is not feasible'. NYTIMES
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
US imposes sanctions on Los Chapitos, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testifies before a House Financial Services Committee hearing entitled \"The Annual Testimony of the Secretary of the Treasury on the State of the International Financial System,\" on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 7, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard/File Photo US imposes sanctions on Los Chapitos, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel WASHINGTON - The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on Los Chapitos, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, labeling it a Specially Designated Global Terrorist as President Donald Trump's administration seeks to tackle cross-border drug trafficking. The U.S. Treasury Department in a statement said it designated Los Chapitos under illicit drug and terrorism authorities, accusing it of facilitating trafficking and production of fentanyl, the lethally potent opioid. Two of its fugitive leaders, both sons of convicted Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, were also hit with sanctions, according to the Treasury Department. "Los Chapitos is a powerful, hyperviolent faction of the Sinaloa Cartel at the forefront of fentanyl trafficking into the United States," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in the statement. "At the Department of the Treasury, we are executing on President Trump's mandate to completely eliminate drug cartels and take on violent leaders like 'El Chapo's' children. Treasury is maximizing all available tools to stop the fentanyl crisis and help save lives." The Treasury on Monday also imposed sanctions on what it said was a regional network of Los Chapitos associates and businesses based in Mexico. Monday's action freezes any of their U.S. assets and generally bars Americans from dealing with them. Those that engage in certain transactions with the sanctioned parties also risk being hit with sanctions. The move comes after the Trump administration in February designated Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa Cartel and other drug cartels as global terrorist organizations. Trump, a Republican, issued an executive order after taking office on January 20 that called on officials to evaluate whether any criminal cartels or transnational gangs should be designated as terrorism groups. The U.S. terrorism designations have come alongside a government crackdown on migration, with thousands of foreigners being deported to third countries in Latin America. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
US, China begin key trade talks in London
US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng shake hands as they pose for a photo during trade talks at the Lancaster House in London. PHOTO: AFP LONDON - China and the United States began a new round of trade talks in London on June 9, Beijing's state media reported, as the world's two biggest economies seek to shore up a shaky truce after bruising tit-for-tat tariffs. The two sides are meeting in the historic Lancaster House, run by the UK Foreign Office, following a first round of talks in Geneva in May. Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng was again heading the team in London. Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported the start of the talks. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are leading the US delegation, President Donald Trump said on June 6. 'The meeting should go very well,' Mr Trump said on his Truth Social platform. His press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told Fox News on June 8: 'We want China and the United States to continue moving forward with the agreement that was struck in Geneva.' While the UK government reiterated that it was not involved in the discussions, a spokesperson said: 'We are a nation that champions free trade.' UK authorities 'have always been clear that a trade war is in nobody's interests, so we welcome these talks', the spokesperson added. Rare earths The talks in London come just a few days after Mr Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping finally held their first publicly announced telephone talks since the Republican returned to the White House. Mr Trump said June 5's call reached a 'very positive conclusion'. Mr Xi was quoted by Xinhua as saying 'correcting the course of the big ship of Sino-US relations requires us to steer well and set the direction'. Tensions between the two nations have soared, with Mr Trump accusing Beijing of violating a tariff de-escalation deal reached in Geneva in mid-May. (From left to right) US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, and Chinese International Trade Representative and Vice-Minister of Commerce Li Chenggang, posing for a photo at the Lancaster House on June 9. PHOTO: AFP 'We need China to comply with their side of the deal. And so that's what the trade team will be discussing tomorrow,' Ms Leavitt said on June 8. A key issue will be Beijing's shipments of rare earths – crucial to a range of goods including electric vehicle batteries and which have been a bone of contention for some time. 'Rare earth shipments from China to the US have slowed since President Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs in April,' said Ms Kathleen Brooks, research director at trading group XTB. 'The US wants these shipments to be reinstated, while China wants the US to rethink immigration curbs on students, restrictions on access to advanced technology including microchips, and to make it easier for Chinese tech providers to access US consumers,' she added. In April, Mr Trump introduced sweeping worldwide tariffs that targeted China most heavily. At one point, Washington hit Beijing with additional levies of 145 per cent on its goods, prompting China to respond with tariffs reaching 125 per cent on US goods. After two days of talks in Switzerland, both sides agreed to slash the eye-watering tariffs for 90 days, but key differences remain – especially over China's rare earth export restrictions. The impact was reflected in the latest official export data released on June 9 in Beijing. Exports to the United States fell 12.7 per cent in May from the previous month, with China shipping US$28.8 billion (S$37 billion) worth of goods. This was down from US$33 billion in April, according to Beijing's General Administration of Customs. 'Green channel' Throughout its talks with Washington, China has also launched discussions with other trading partners – including Japan and South Korea – to try to build a united front to counter Mr Trump's tariffs. On June 5, Beijing and Canada agreed to regularise their channels of communication after strained ties. Beijing has also proposed establishing a 'green channel' to ease exports of rare earths to the European Union, and fast-tracking approval of some export licenses. China is expected to host a summit with the EU in July, marking 50 years since Beijing and Brussels established diplomatic ties. According to a spokesperson for Mr Starmer, Britain's finance minister Rachel Reeves took advantage of the talks in London to meet with her US counterpart Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng on June 8. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.


CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
Los Angeles police order immigration protesters in downtown to go home
LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles braced for another day of unrest on Monday (Jun 9) over President Donald Trump's immigration policies, after police declared the city's downtown an unlawful assembly area and ordered protesters to go home. California officials pushed back against the White House's deployment of National Guard troops, saying they were unnecessary and had only exacerbated the situation. Governor Gavin Newsom vowed to sue the federal government. "This is exactly what Donald Trump wanted. He flamed the fires and illegally acted to federalize the National Guard," Newsom posted on X on Monday. "We're suing him." Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass blamed the Trump administration for inciting tension by sending in the Guard. She also condemned protesters after some burned cars and hurled bottles at police. "I don't want people to fall into the chaos that I believe is being created by the administration completely unnecessarily," Bass told a press conference on Sunday. The unrest in Los Angeles has become a flashpoint in Trump's signature effort to clamp down on illegal immigration. The Republican president has pledged to deport record numbers of people who are in the country illegally and to lock down the US-Mexico border, setting the ICE border enforcement agency a daily goal of arresting at least 3,000 migrants. Los Angeles police said some protesters had thrown concrete projectiles, bottles and other items at police. Police declared several rallies to be unlawful assemblies and later extended that to include the whole downtown area. Several self-driving cars from Alphabet's Waymo were set ablaze on a downtown street on Sunday evening. Police on horseback tried to control the crowds. Some officers used flash-bang grenades and tear gas, CNN reported. Demonstrators shouted "Shame on you!" at police and some appeared to throw objects, video images showed. One group blocked the 101 Freeway, a downtown thoroughfare. City Police Chief Jim McDonnell told a media briefing on Sunday evening that people had a right to protest peacefully but the violence he had seen by some was "disgusting" and the protests were getting out of control. Police said they had arrested 10 people on Sunday and 29 the previous night, adding arrests were continuing. Vanessa Cardenas, head of the immigration advocacy group America's Voice, accused the Trump administration of "trumping up an excuse to abuse power, and deliberately stoke and force confrontations around immigration." WHITE HOUSE RESPONDS In response to California's threat to sue the government, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X that "Newsom did nothing as violent riots erupted in Los Angeles for days." Asked if the National Guard was needed, Police Chief McDonnell said police would not "go to that right away," but added, "Looking at the violence tonight, I think we've got to make a reassessment." In a social media post, Trump called on McDonnell to do so. "He should, right now!!!" Trump added. "Don't let these thugs get away with this. Make America great again!!!" The White House disputed Newsom's characterisation of Trump inflaming the situation, saying in a statement, "Everyone saw the chaos, violence and lawlessness." Earlier on Sunday, about a dozen National Guard members, along with Department of Homeland Security personnel, pushed back a group of demonstrators outside a federal building in downtown Los Angeles, video showed. The US Northern Command said 300 members of the California National Guard had been deployed to three spots in the Los Angeles area. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told CBS program "Face the Nation" that the National Guard would provide safety around buildings to people engaged in peaceful protest and to law enforcement. "ALL ACTION NECESSARY" The Trump administration's immigration enforcement measures have also included residents who are in the country legally, some with permanent residence, spurring legal challenges. In a social media post on Sunday, Trump called the demonstrators "violent, insurrectionist mobs" and said he was directing his cabinet officers "to take all such action necessary" to stop what he called riots. Despite Trump's language, he has not invoked the Insurrection Act, an 1807 law that empowers a president to deploy the US military to suppress events such as civil disorder. Asked on Sunday whether he was considering doing so, he said, "It depends on whether or not there's an insurrection." Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Saturday the Pentagon is prepared to mobilise active-duty troops "if violence continues" in Los Angeles, saying Marines at nearby Camp Pendleton were on high alert.