New York (CNN) On Tuesday, YouTube announced a series of changes to how it handles content related to eating disorders.
Platforms have long removed content that glorifies or promotes eating disorders. YouTube’s Community Guidelines also prohibit content that features behaviors such as post-meal emptying or extreme calorie counting that at-risk users may mimic. For videos featuring such “mimicable behaviors” in the context of recovery, Youtube Allow content to remain on the site, but restricted to users over the age of 18 who are logged into the site.
Policy changes, developed in consultation with the National Eating Disorders Association and other nonprofits, ensure “YouTube continues to protect its viewers while allowing space for community recovery and resources.” YouTube’s global head of healthcare, Garth Graham, told CNN. interview.
“We’re thinking about how to stick a needle in terms of the essential conversations and information that people might have,” Graham said. Information … also works as a trigger. ”
Change Comes When Social Media Platforms Face Increased scrutiny About the impact on mental health of users, especially young people. In 2021, lawmakers speak up Instagram YouTube promotes accounts featuring content depicting extreme weight loss and dieting to younger users. TikTok has also faced criticism from online safety groups. claimed The app offered eating disorder-related content to teenagers (although the platform opposed the investigation). We also follow some recent updates on how YouTube handles things. misinformation About medical issues such as abortion vaccination.
In addition to removing or age-restricting some videos, YouTube plans to add panels under eating disorder-related content in nine countries that will direct viewers to resources in crisis. We have plans to expand to more regions. Also, if a creator’s video is taken down for violating their eating disorder policy, Graham said YouTube will send YouTube resources on how to create content that is less likely to harm other viewers. It is said that it will.
However, as with many social media policies, the challenge is often not implementing it, but enforcing it. For example, the challenges YouTube may face in determining which videos drive recovery. YouTube plans to roll out policy enforcement globally in the coming weeks, using both human and automated moderation to review videos and their context.
“These are complex social public health [issues]Mr Graham said: I understand the challenge. ”
