YouTube unveils tougher measures against offensive content

Google-owned YouTube said Wednesday it is introducing tougher policies to crack down on harassment, hate speech, and threats or insults about race, sex and gender.

The US video streaming company has vowed to remove videos or comments that contain not only explicit threats, but also veiled or implied threats, including "content simulating violence toward an individual or language suggesting physical violence may occur."

The company said it will no longer tolerate any hateful speech or malicious insults targeting anyone, ranging from private individuals to public officials, based on their race, gender expression, or sexual orientation.

YouTube said it is tightening its policies to get tougher on those who engage in harassing behavior and will ban channels that repeatedly violate its anti-harassment policy to exclude them from its YouTube Partner Program.

The company also added it has taken down more than 16 million comments that contained harassment in the third quarter of 2019.

The YouTube policy update came six months after YouTube faced one of its most high-profile controversies over harassment in recent days.

YouTube has often been criticized for allowing racist content to spread on its platform, including videos posted in June this year by right-wing commentator Steven Crowder that insulted Vox Cuban-American video producer Carlos Maza for his race and sexual orientation.