In mid-January, YouTube released guidance regarding the requirements to remain a “YouTube Partner.” In mid-March, YouTube released new guidelines for videos containing or related to firearms.
YouTube is free to set its own rules for the content it hosts. I do not challenge the notion that they should have the right to determine what they allow on their servers.
I do challenge their recent actions to clamp down on certain forms of speech, however, on a philosophical basis. Put simply: just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
It’s important to note that my personal channel, Vuurwapen Blog, is far in excess of these requirements, has retained continuous YouTube Partner status for years, and was in no danger of being marginalized. At the time of this writing, I had over 30 times the subscriber requirement and approximately 5 times the annual watch hours requirement listed in the January 16 message to remain a YouTube partner – so I, personally, would not be affected by the most wide-ranging policies recently announced by YouTube. Furthermore, I had accrued zero “strikes” for bad behavior on YouTube.
I would, however, be affected by YouTube’s recent firearms policy announcement, and many of my videos have been marked as “not suitable for most advertisers.” With all the clumsiness of a panel of septuagenarian males setting policies for young females’ access to birth control, the invisible hand of YouTube has marked as inappropriate firearm-related videos I made entitled “Why I Avoid Shooting Animals,” “Things I Don’t Like About the NRA,” and “Which Gun Safety Rule is Most Important?” while NOT marking as inappropriate videos of me shooting machine guns or explaining how to reload a rifle.
Setting aside the irony of YouTube reacting to a boycott of the NRA by censuring creators of videos which criticize the NRA, ignoring the censorship of videos expressing a pure opinion, YouTube’s firearm policy will only serve to drive videos relating to firearms away from their platform. While some might say “good!” – YouTube is a place where things can be watched, both literally and figuratively. By taking this action, YouTube is driving certain forms of content underground where they cannot be monitored and sunlight, the “best disinfectant,” does not reach.
I am pleased that the only fatality in the recent attack on YouTube was the shooter and fervently hope for the quick and full recovery of those who were injured. Violence is not the answer to disagreements on policy.
Voices must be raised in opposition, however, when wrong actions are taken. Accordingly, I have deleted the entire contents of my YouTube channel. By continuing to allow my videos to be hosted on YouTube, and especially by allowing their “monetization,” I was financially supporting, in however infinitesimal a manner, a clampdown on speech with which I disagree. With almost 20 million video views, 32,000 subscribers, and 73% average audience retention, I created videos that some people wanted to watch, and I was a small asset to YouTube. No more.
YouTube may pretend that they are being proactive and progressive with this stance, but all they are doing is washing their hands of a troublesome topic and hoping it will become someone else’s problem. This action will not reduce the appetite for videos relating to guns nor will it reduce access to information which might be used to cause harm. On the contrary, YouTube’s firearm policy is likely to accelerate the availability of questionable content in places and formats where threatening comments or the advocation of violence cannot be as quickly identified and countered.
Well done Andrew. They don’t want your content, just your money. Give them neither. I love it.
I only hope that you can find a place to share your videos that you have deleted. I had a particular fondness for the “Which Safety Rule is most important” and frequently asked new shooters/gun owners to watch it.
Are you moving to other video hosting platform?
Any plans to host vids in another place?
-Marky
If only everyone being affected by this had the same attitude.
This is the kind of level-headed maturity that has kept me coming back to this blog for years. Where can I expect to find your content in future?
Do you host your videos somewhere else (or have plans to)?
Very good for deleting your content in its entirety! YouTube is clearly discriminating against the conservative base. As the saying goes, “once they get our guns, they will next take our speech and religion”. The leftists are already probing around the edges of Freedom and Speech and Freedom of Religion trying to determine how to place limits on them. I expect YouTube to fall in line with its leftists friends and begin removing videos in the near future that promote the Christian faith and voice conservative positions.
Does anyone know a site that would be a good alternative to YouTube? Might be time to start publicizing it so all Constitution-Loving Americans migrate to it.
Love how people think that the attack on freedom is a left or right thing. How fast we forget about how many freedoms were lost under the reign of the right. Sadly i believe this is why we loose so many. If it’s my team taking or restricting a right i don’t use or like I’m all for it.
This is a sad day. I look forward to learning where we can view your videos going forward. I still have a lot of viewing to do!
Censorship is censorship.
Do you still have any digital copies of Performance Under Stress? It was an influential video for me in the past and I’ve occasionally shown it to other people and I’m not sure I ever ripped it from the site.
Do you still have a copy of Performance Under Stress? That video influenced me and I’ve shared it occasionally with other people.
I have copies of everything, I will find another place for them at some point.
Did you ever post them anywhere?
Consider Odysee or Utreon
Dear Tuohy,
Please find a new home for your back catalogue And let us know where it will be. You have been, and I hope you remain, one of the best resources for my own education and one of the best sources I can send both pro- and anti- gun friends to better understand both the subject matter and our interest in it. You remain one of the best ambassadors we have.
All the best, and keep it coming!
Semper Fi,
Emmett
Very well written, Andrew. Keep up the good work.
I just ran across your blog tonight in a link from another site. I’d like to see some of those videos!
Full30.com is a firearms related video site that hosts a number of respectable channels (e.g. Reid Henrichs, just for one example). That might be an option for you. I have no affiliation, I just try to watch videos there instead of YouTube when I can.
In any case I hope you will find a new home for your content.