Understanding YouTube's Content Moderation Policies

A deeply troubling video featuring conservative YouTuber Steven Crowder was deemed not to violate YouTube's hate speech guidelines, according to a statement given to OneZero. Although the video was removed for other violations, this situation underscores the leniency afforded to bigoted content on the platform, even as it takes a firmer stand against certain misinformation, such as claims about Covid-19.

Crowder's livestream on March 16, part of his show "Louder With Crowder," which boasts 5.4 million subscribers, included exaggerated caricatures of Black individuals. These performances ridiculed provisions in a recent Covid-19 relief bill that allocated $5 billion to assist farmers of color—groups historically marginalized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

After airing a news segment about the financial aid, Crowder proceeded to impersonate a Black man seeking to benefit from the program. “I’m gonna buy a plow, man!” he exclaimed. “Barack Obama, mother—! I’m the president of plowing that ass.” His co-host, Dave Landau, added a jibe referencing slavery, suggesting that farming wasn’t something Black individuals would desire, due to historical context. He later quipped about planting a “Hennessy tree,” while Crowder insinuated that the soil in Black neighborhoods was tainted with “meth.”

The video drew widespread condemnation, particularly after the progressive organization Media Matters for America shared the clip on Twitter. Viewers are warned that the content is as problematic as described, exemplifying a type of humor that has found a niche on YouTube, even as it would likely be unacceptable in traditional media.

YouTube ultimately removed the video, but not due to the racist elements. Instead, it was taken down for ridiculing Covid-19 and public health officials—content that contravened YouTube's guidelines on Covid-19 misinformation. A spokesperson, Ivy Choi, explained, “We removed this video for violating our Covid-19 misinformation policy, which prohibits content claiming that the death rates of Covid-19 are less severe or equally as severe as the common cold or seasonal flu.”

Regarding the segment mocking Black farmers, Choi clarified that it did not breach YouTube's hate speech policy: “Our hate speech policy prohibits content promoting hatred against groups based on their race. While offensive, this video from the Steven Crowder channel does not violate this policy.” This distinction reveals the high threshold YouTube employs to classify hate speech; one can disparage and caricature individuals based on their race, provided they do not explicitly express hatred.

The implications of this policy are significant, as they allow figures like Crowder, who often rely on stereotypes, to flourish on the platform. Despite numerous policy violations, Crowder has built a substantial following on YouTube, remains part of the partner program, and benefits from algorithmic recommendations.

On the following day, Crowder was absent from his show, but co-hosts continued with a livestream that included transphobic jokes about Elliot Page’s gender identity. One remarked, “I got canceled yesterday, now I gotta worry about her penis,” trivializing Page’s identity. This episode also featured Crowder’s father, who suggested that the downfall of Native American societies was unavoidable due to their inability to progress.

YouTube has yet to comment on any potential actions regarding this recent segment, which continued to be available with a content warning and had garnered nearly 700,000 views by Thursday. This scenario is not uncommon for "Louder With Crowder." After a series of homophobic incidents in 2019, YouTube initially defended Crowder’s actions but later suspended him from the partner program due to a “pattern of egregious actions.” The backlash from conservative figures, including Fox News host Tucker Carlson and Senator Ted Cruz, criticized YouTube's perceived censorship.

In August 2020, YouTube reinstated Crowder, asserting he had made “steps to address the behavior that led to his suspension.” Regarding the March 16 video, YouTube indicated that its systems flagged the content upon upload, preventing ads from running, although the specifics of the flagging criteria were not disclosed. The video was eventually removed due to misinformation regarding Covid-19.

YouTube informed OneZero that Crowder's channel received a warning under its “three strikes” policy, likely connected to the misinformation about Covid-19. Typically, channels receive a single warning before facing a strike, which results in a temporary suspension. It appears Crowder only received a warning due to the timing of his previous policy breaches.

The removal of the video may have helped mitigate the escalating controversy surrounding the segment on Black farmers. While the clip incited outrage, the focus of media coverage shifted towards the takedown rather than YouTube's tolerance for racist content. The platform has consistently demonstrated a stronger commitment to addressing Covid-19 misinformation compared to other misleading or offensive materials.

Despite YouTube's inherent leniency towards such content, it has created a space for individuals who have been excluded from mainstream media. It is telling, however, that outright racism—acknowledged by YouTube as “offensive”—does not appear to breach the regulations of its partner program. This is reminiscent of YouTube's initial defense of Crowder’s homophobic segments, where it acknowledged their hurtfulness but deemed them not hate speech.

YouTube's initial defenses often lead to the modification of rules when faced with public backlash. The platform has historically prided itself on providing a voice to creators lacking a mainstream platform. While this has resulted in an abundance of creative and valuable content, it has also allowed for the emergence of personalities who thrive in the absence of accountability, often profiting from sensationalized and unfiltered content.

A segment like Crowder's—or similar controversial moments from other YouTube personalities—would likely never air on traditional networks that are subject to higher standards of accountability. By largely renouncing editorial responsibility for user-generated content, YouTube has facilitated the rise of controversial figures, capitalizing on a demand for unfiltered, provocative content.

Chapter 2: YouTube's Policy Implications and Future Directions

The first video, "Hate Speech Isn't Real (Google Edition) | Change My Mind," critiques the concept of hate speech and discusses the implications of content moderation.

The second video, "Hate Speech Isn't Real (2nd Edition) | Change My Mind," continues to explore the nuances and controversies surrounding hate speech on platforms like YouTube.