YouTube updates gun content policies to ban videos promoting sale or manufacture of firearms, accessories

YouTube is updating its restrictions on gun-related content, prohibiting videos that aim to sell firearms and firearm accessories via private sales or offer instructions on building a firearm, ammunition, or firearm accessories. It is also restricting videos that show users how to install gun-related accessories or modify firearms.

Announced in a post on the YouTube Help Forum, the following policies on content featuring firearms will go into effect next month:

The ban on videos that intend to sell firearms or certain firearms accessories, also includes videos that link out to sites that sell those items.

“We routinely make updates and adjustments to our enforcement guidelines across all of our policies. While we’ve long prohibited the sale of firearms, we recently notified creators of updates we will be making around content promoting the sale or manufacture of firearms and their accessories, specifically, items like ammunition, gatling triggers, and drop-in auto sears. We will begin enforcing these new guidelines next month. We recommend creators take a look at our Help Center and review their own content during that time.” a YouTube spokesperson told Marketing Land.

YouTube has had policies around gun-related content for some time now. In October, following the mass shooting in Las Vegas, it banned videos demonstrating how to convert firearms to fire more quickly (e.g. using bump stocks). These policy changes around firearm content come after the mass shooting in Parkland, FL has reignited the gun control debate. According to YouTube, it has been collaborating with several experts over the last four months to create this policy update.

About The Author

Amy Gesenhues

Amy Gesenhues is Third Door Media’s General Assignment Reporter, covering the latest news and updates for Marketing Land and Search Engine Land. From 2009 to 2012, she was an award-winning syndicated columnist for a number of daily newspapers from New York to Texas. With more than ten years of marketing management experience, she has contributed to a variety of traditional and online publications, including MarketingProfs.com, SoftwareCEO.com, and Sales and Marketing Management Magazine. Read more of Amy’s articles.