June 5, 2019

Today, YouTube announced updates to their hate speech policies designed to protect and ensure safety for their users. For the last few years, MPAC has been working with YouTube to ensure hate speech policies are updated to reflect the hate targeted communities deal with. This latest announcement is a positive step toward ensuring safety for all users and reducing hate on the platform.

The changes focused on incentivizing the creation and amplifying the spread of trusted content, as well as removing violative content and reducing misinformation.

At the same time, this is just a first step. YouTube serves a critical function for our pluralistic society and interconnected world as a platform for content creators of color and other voices who do not have ready access to mainstream media outlets. Prior to joining The Daily Show and earning his own Netflix show, Hasan Minhaj built a large and devoted online community on Youtube.

A diverse array of speech and expression is vital to this country’s civic and social health. At the same time, we need to balance the necessity of free and diverse forms of expression with the similarly important need for safety from online hate and misinformation. We will continue to engage YouTube on that work moving forward.