Youtube’s content policing norms are getting stricter. Youtube, since it gained popularity has been subject to pornographic material from various sources with commercial interests. It has been long used as a promoter for certain adult websites and blogs. With its efficient flagging system, the viewers used to flag videos, which were then reviewed by the youtube staff. With $15 million expenditure in bandwidth, this stricter policy of nudity, which generates a lot of hits, will be reduced.When are videos considered ‘sexually suggestive’?
Videos featuring sexually explicit content like real sex acts are not allowed. Other content like nudity and dramatized or implied sexual conduct may be considered sexually suggestive depending on whether or not it is intended or designed to arouse viewers.
Nudity includes exposed or partially covered genitalia, buttocks, or breasts, as well as sheer clothing. Videos featuring individuals in minimal or revealing clothing may also be age-restricted if they're intended to elicit a sexual response.
Along with stricter standard for mature content, demotion of sexually suggestive content, improved thumbnails and more accurate video information were also mentioned. It is still unclear whether it is a move to cut costs at a time when the markets are gloomy as it was reported that Google had started tightening its belt in the wake of recession.