YouTube prioritizes the safety of its creators, viewers, and partners and expects users to follow its Community Guidelines to help keep the platform safe. Content that involves dangerous behavior, illegal activity, or encourages harm is not allowed.
If you encounter content that may violate this policy, you should report it using YouTube’s reporting tools. You can also report an entire channel if multiple pieces of content are concerning.
What This Policy Means
This policy applies across all YouTube features, including videos, comments, livestreams, descriptions, and even external links shared on the platform. This includes clickable URLs, spoken links, or any direction guiding users off YouTube.
Content that falls into the following categories is not permitted:
Dangerous Activities and Challenges
- Challenges or pranks that pose serious risk of injury or death
- Activities that could cause physical harm or emotional distress
- Dangerous acts performed by adults that involve significant risk
- Any participation of minors in unsafe or hazardous activities
Weapons and Violence Instructions
- Instructions for harming or killing others
- Tutorials for making explosives or dangerous devices
- Unsafe or improper use of firearms or weapons
Digital Safety Violations
- Instructions for hacking or stealing personal data
- Phishing attempts or scams to obtain sensitive information
- Content showing how to bypass payments or access paid services illegally
- Attempts to obtain cryptocurrency or wallet information through deception
Illegal Goods or Services
- Content promoting or facilitating illegal or restricted products or services
- Links or instructions related to illegal trade or activities
Examples of Violating Content
Some examples of content that is not allowed include:
- Dangerous “challenges” involving choking, drowning, or suffocation risks
- Videos showing misuse of weapons or unsafe handling of firearms
- Consumption of harmful or non-food substances
- Fire or electrocution challenges
- Pranks that involve fake threats like bomb scares or fake kidnappings
- Videos showing unsafe driving or reckless stunts that could cause injury
- Instructions for making explosives or dangerous devices
- Videos involving real physical fights between children
Age-Restricted Content
Some content may stay on YouTube but be restricted to adult audiences if it includes risky behavior without strong educational context or involves non-serious but still unsafe acts. This may include:
- Stunts with moderate risk but no serious injury likelihood
- Educational demonstrations of dangerous activities with safety explanations
- Content showing adults engaging in risky activities with commentary or context
- Controlled demonstrations of unsafe behavior for educational purposes
Simply stating “don’t try this at home” is not enough to qualify as educational context.
Educational, Documentary, Scientific, or Artistic Exceptions
Some otherwise risky content may be allowed if it has clear educational, documentary, scientific, or artistic value. It may also be allowed if it is in the public interest.
Examples include:
- Documentaries explaining the dangers of risky behaviors
- Professionally performed stunts with safety measures explained
- Educational content about drug or activity risks without promoting use
- Controlled demonstrations used to teach safety or prevention
Even with context, content may still be age-restricted or removed if it promotes harm.
Consequences of Violating the Policy
If content violates these guidelines, YouTube may:
- Remove the content
- Send a notification email
- Remove unsafe external links
- Issue a warning or strike
First violations usually result in a warning, which may be cleared after policy training. Repeated violations can lead to strikes, and accumulating three strikes within 90 days may result in channel termination.
Severe or repeated violations can also lead to immediate account termination or loss of features such as livestreaming.
