Safety, Harassment, and Hate Policies on YouTube
YouTube is a place for people to share stories, express opinions, and connect with others. To support this, we aim to keep the platform safe for both creators and viewers.
While most users use YouTube positively, we recognize that harassment, abuse, and harmful behavior can occur. These policies and tools are designed to reduce harm and protect the community.
Creators and users also share responsibility for maintaining a safe and respectful platform.
Policies on Hate and Harassment
YouTube enforces clear rules against harmful content:
Hate Speech
This policy protects groups and individuals based on protected characteristics.
Content is considered hate speech when it:
- Incites hatred or violence against protected groups
- Targets people based on attributes such as race, religion, gender, or other protected status
Learn more about YouTube’s hate speech policy.
Harassment
This policy protects individuals from targeted abuse.
Content may be considered harassment when it includes:
- Repeated or malicious insults based on personal attributes
- Bullying or threatening behavior
- Doxxing or sharing private information
- Encouraging coordinated abusive behavior from others
Learn more about YouTube’s harassment policy.
Tools to Help Protect Yourself
YouTube provides several tools to help users stay safe and manage their experience.
Reporting and Safety Tools
You can:
- Report abusive or inappropriate content
- Report privacy violations
- Report impersonation of you or your channel
Content and Interaction Controls
You can:
- Block users or commenters
- Block specific words in comments
- Hold comments for review before they appear
- Restrict users in live chat
Account Security Tools
You can:
- Secure your Google Account linked to YouTube
- Remove or delete your YouTube channel
- Manage access to your channel
Privacy and Account Safety
YouTube provides guidance on protecting your privacy and account security. If you believe your account has been compromised, you should immediately take steps to secure it.
If you experience harassment, abuse, or suspicious activity, use YouTube’s reporting and blocking tools to help protect yourself and others.
