YouTube prioritizes the safety of its community and does not allow content that promotes violence, hatred, or discrimination against individuals or groups.
This includes content targeting people based on protected characteristics. In some cases, content may be allowed if it is clearly educational, documentary, scientific, artistic, or in the public interest, and includes appropriate context.
Protected Groups
This policy protects individuals or groups based on:
- Age
- Caste, ethnicity, or race
- Disability
- Immigration status
- Nationality
- Religion
- Sex, gender, or sexual orientation
- Veteran status
- Victims of major violent events and their families
What Is Not Allowed
Hate or Violence Targeting Groups
- Encouraging violence against protected groups
- Inciting hatred toward protected groups
- Making threats (direct or implied)
Dehumanization and Harmful Comparisons
- Referring to groups as animals, insects, diseases, or “subhuman”
- Comparing groups to non-human entities in a hateful way
Inferiority Claims and Discrimination
- Saying a group is physically or mentally inferior
- Claiming a group is less intelligent or less capable
- Promoting domination, segregation, or exclusion of a group
Hate Speech and Stereotypes
- Using slurs or stereotypes to promote hatred
- Presenting harmful stereotypes as factual
- Spreading discriminatory or abusive language in any format
Hate-Fueled Ideologies
- Promoting supremacist ideologies
- Recruiting or fundraising for hateful movements
- Justifying violence or discrimination based on group identity
Conspiracy and Denial Content
- Claiming groups are inherently evil, corrupt, or malicious
- Spreading conspiracies targeting protected groups
- Denying or minimizing well-documented violent events
Educational or Context-Based Exceptions
Some content may be allowed if it includes clear educational, documentary, scientific, artistic, or public-interest context.
This includes:
- Condemning or criticizing hate speech
- Academic or historical analysis of discriminatory ideas
- Documentaries about extremist groups (without promoting them)
- Historical footage (e.g., WWII) presented in context
However, context must be clearly shown within the video itself (not only in titles or descriptions). Content must not promote hate or violence.
Monetization and Enforcement
YouTube may apply stronger penalties when creators:
- Repeatedly target or insult protected groups
- Encourage abusive behavior toward specific groups
- Create content that increases risk of real-world harm
- Use hate content for financial gain
Examples of Violations
Content that is not allowed includes:
- “They deserved what happened to them” about a protected group
- Calling a group “dogs,” “pests,” or “disease”
- Encouraging violence against a protected group
- Claiming a group is “less intelligent” or “inferior”
- Denying or mocking victims of real violent events
- Promoting supremacist ideologies
- Saying a group should not be educated or included in society
- Conspiracy claims targeting protected groups
- Hate-based statements framed as “facts”
Scope of the Policy
This applies to:
- Videos
- Comments
- Livestreams
- Descriptions and metadata
- Thumbnails
- External links and references
Consequences of Violating the Policy
If a violation occurs, YouTube may:
- Remove the content
- Send a warning or strike
- Remove external links
- Disable monetization
First violations often result in a warning and optional training that may clear after 90 days. Repeated violations can lead to strikes, and three strikes within 90 days may result in channel termination.
Severe or repeated violations may result in immediate account removal or permanent restrictions.
Content that promotes hatred or violence toward protected groups is not allowed. Educational or historical discussion is only permitted when clear context is provided and the content does not promote harm.
