A little over a month ago, the video giant YouTube was forced to apologize after the restricted mode of its platform leaked LGTB content.The restriction was publicly denounced by not a few users , who reported that the platform concealed these completely harmless contents (which was to veto the wedding of a homosexual couple, for example) when this feature was active.
Such was the "scandal" that the entity had to take action on the matter.However, some time later, there are still many regulars of the service that does not know what exactly this option consists of .Today We review what it is for and explain how to activate it, disable it and verify that it is really what it hides (or not).
What is YouTube restricted mode
The restricted mode is part of the resources offered by the entity to allow parents to limit those contents that may harm their children.It is a kind of parental control which, according to those of Mountain View, serves "to help eliminate potentially objectionable content that you prefer not to see or that other members of your family do not see." That is, by activating it, we make videos that do not comply with some disappear "decency" requirements, so to speak.
Specifically, is a much more passive tool than, for example, those that allow us to complain about privacy violations, report inappropriate comments or videos, etc.It works automatically using an algorithm and is based in the reports sent by other users, as well as in age and other restrictions that the company prefers to keep secret.In addition, adapts to different cultural and religious sensibilities depending on the country of visualization.
How to activate or deactivate it
This mode is disabled by default .To apply it on your website, we must enter YouTube and descend to the bottom of the page.At the bottom and next to the language, location of the content, the history and help, we found a button for restricted mode.
Just press it to get more information.In fact, this is where we are warned that it is not 100% infallible.The drop-down will let us turn it on or off in one click and save our preferences. It can also be locked to prevent other users from changing the function in the browser.
To do it through your app and once inside it, we will have to access the options menu (the three points located in the upper right corner of the screen), enter Settings and in General-the first of the list-.It will be here where we will see the option to activate the Restricted Mode.
Testing, testing...
Having said that and although YouTube claims to be taking action, we have decided to check firsthand what is hiding (and what is not hiding) the platform with this mode.To do this, we have observed what happens when visiting such popular channels like that of Rubius, Felix Kjellberg, and also others like Sootch00-specialized in firearms reviews-and Diverti2-Fun-dedicated to jokes-with this filter.A heterogeneous selection that has given us contributed the following results.
When we enter the space of El Rubius without the restricted mode, we access the selection that heads this section, wide and varied.However, if we decide to activate it, it is reduced to such an extent that we only have five left (of fights in zero gravity, septic battle simulator, games and one in which he opens gifts from his subscribers.) The type of language he uses and obscene gestures They seem to take its toll in this mode.
With Felix Kjellberg something similar happens: we are left with only six .However, it should be noted that there are no major differences between the vetoes and those who have decided to keep except some exceptions in which its protagonist refers to racist issues, etc.Curiously, one of animals stops appearing.In the case of firearms, with the Sootch channel, all videos are directly hidden.
In Diverti2-Fun also only two contents remain .And here the question surprises somewhat more, because it is not an offensive channel to use, but a site in which they take Make different jokes (some of a questionable taste, everything is said).Two clear evidences of the doubtful criterion are the disappearance of the video of the dumbest thief in the world and the veto to a video about hidden pools.
YouTube has not been unique
Finally, and although YouTube does not take long to apologize and start taking action on the matter, it seems that the "veto" of this type of content is not as fortuitous as those responsible said.In fact, l a network is full of youtubers that have shown how the platform has "censored" practically all those videos that contain words such as gay, lesbian and similar, regardless of the type of content (a debate, interview, reflection, nothing It has to do with sex.) This is the case, for example, of NeonFiona, who illustrated his case on Twitter with various screenshots.
Just looked at my videos with the «restricted mode» on.Seeing a bit of a theme here...
LGBT + content not safe for kids @YouTube? pic.twitter.com/KnhayE4h1y
-fiona✨ (@neonfiona) March 16, 2017
What happened with YouTube is not an isolated event, but Facebook itself was immersed in a polemic similar with the incursion of new advertising filters that allowed advertisers to exclude people from their campaigns based on their race.A practice considered discriminatory and contrary even to their own policies.It did not take long to retract, but the controversy was already served.
Images | Pixabay and Pexels
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