YouTube Is Growing Up, And Creators Are Frustrated By Growing Pains

Like death and taxes, seeing a version of “YouTube is over” trend on Twitter just hours after a new policy change goes into effect is a certainty. YouTube’s updated harassment policy is no exception. Under the rules announced last week, YouTube will “no longer allow content that maliciously insults someone based on protected attributes such as their race, gender expression, or sexual orientation.” Essentially, people can criticize a creator’s work, but the basis of those criticisms can’t be attacks on their person. YouTube says the rules are being implemented because bullying makes “people less inclined to share their opinions and engage with each other.” The recent policy change is just one of many that’s made creators reconfigure their approach to YouTube in recent years. To the site’s endemic creators, it can feel like they’re being pushed around as YouTube prioritizes more traditional content, but the changes have often been much-needed ones designed to help the platform evolve. Read more on The Verge.