Talk:Censorship of YouTube

Map
Map request note: A world map showing countries that have blocked YouTube would go well at the top. Richard001 (talk) 02:03, 27 July 2008 (UTC)
 * Done. OnurTcontribs 22:43, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

Brazil
Youtube has never been blocked in brazil.. Much fuss but nothing was done.. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.246.169.242 (talk • contribs) 16:51, 20 August 2007

Uzbekistan
Youtube is blocked in Uzbekistan as well, for a very long time. Nothing has changed since their government changed either. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.255.234.173 (talk) 15:59, 3 October 2018 (UTC)

Pakistan
The user 203.99.185.151 has been removing a block of text which links the Pakistan YouTube block to charges of voting irregularities. I have no particular opinion about the text, but the removal of it without comment seems inappropriate. Tb (talk) 18:38, 25 February 2008 (UTC) Edited by Muhammad Ibrar(17 April 2008) But the users who use proxy by passing technique was able to view the youtube even it was banned. Like we used www.bypassany.com which bypasses any ip blocked through your gateway.

Muhammad Ibrar CEO pkvideos.net http://www.pkvideos.net —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.99.185.217 (talk) 06:28, 17 April 2008 (UTC)

Indonesia
Is it correct that youtube's ban has been lifted? There's no official notification from the Ministry of Communication and Information, fitna videos are still on youtube, and I can't seem to access youtube from Indonesia! Or is it one of those moments when youtube just died for an half an hour? Somecrowd (talk) 22:10, 15 April 2008 (UTC)
 * YouTube in Indoesia semms working for me. Junk Police (talk) 08:44, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Blocking by organizations (schools etc)
This section needs expansion. I believe my university has blocked YouTube (I'm awaiting a reply on what has happened) and I imagine it's the same in many others. This may be quite different from countries, as it seems to be more about bandwidth than about censorship (well, it could be about the latter in some cases too). Richard001 (talk) 03:12, 27 July 2008 (UTC)


 * Personally, I'd get rid of this section. It seems redundant, restating the obvious - schools block YouTube. I'll bet you most, if not all schools block YouTube because of it being a distraction, and a waste of bandwidth.  Tigerfishdaisy (talk) 00:56, 16 September 2008 (UTC)


 * Ahh, a voice of a true censor? "We are banning it for your own good because it is a distraction and a waste of bandwidth, and we don't want you to talk about the banning of it - again only for your own good because it's not needed and would be a waste of words". Truth is, that section does need expanding. Meowy  20:45, 14 November 2008 (UTC)

You know it could also be due to the fact that 4chan showed its really easy to upload porn to youtube. Pyrolord777 (talk) 19:53, 7 February 2010 (UTC)

youtube must file a countersuit
youtube must file a countersuit. they must! Sonicthehedgehog200 (talk) 16:24, 3 August 2008 (UTC)


 * Against whom? This relates to improving the article how? Richard001 (talk) 23:54, 6 August 2008 (UTC)

I'd say against the people uploading those videos then their unlikely to upload them again. Pyrolord777 (talk) 19:51, 7 February 2010 (UTC)

United Arab Emirates
YouTube here isn't blocked, but you can't see you're friends, channel comments, subscriptions, subscribers, and groups. Nir can you see anyone elses. That's funny, bad videos are all over while clean acounts like those are unaccessable. I wish they'd explain why...--UltimateDarkloid (talk) 17:49, 29 October 2008 (UTC)

Sudan
Needs rewriting! Ugh :p Sparrer (talk) 01:55, 11 December 2008 (UTC

Hannah
Someone could really get this page some detail because I don't understand any of this! --ddvvvvvvvvvvvbcccccccccccxxxxxxxx

Iran
Shouldn't this include something about the current protests in Iran? I believe it has been blocked since before 6/17 http://www.beet.tv/2009/06/youtube-blocked-in-iran-traffic-down-90-percent.html Bostonvaulter (talk) 10:29, 30 June 2009 (UTC)

YouTube is still blocked in Iran. and Iran have its own version of youtube (aparat.com). 5.238.113.245 (talk) 07:17, 7 June 2014 (UTC)

New name
Good move, "blocking" sounds like an article having to do with aspect ratios. --Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ) (talk) 09:44, 30 November 2009 (UTC)

Map legend SVG worthy?
I notice that the map used to indicate where Youtube is censored is still in PNG format. The one for right/left hand traffic is an example of an SVG, so it might be considered for this image as well. I'd link to the file, but it automatically converts it to display the full image. mechamind 9  0  23:17, 8 January 2010 (UTC)

I have removed this statement from the article...
"In April 2010, Youtube started to block access to videos in the United States of America in relation to copyright claims by companies such as UMG, WMG, and Viacom."

First of all, it is lacking sources. Second of all, if it is true it should be in a seperate section of the article (rather than the intro paragraph). Plus, blocking videos in their home country is sounding a bit suspicious (what would happen next, the site would be gone permanently? I don't think so). trainfan01 8:16, 22 August, 2010 (UTC)

Are you stupid or a troll? Even mainstream media sources are citing the removal of videos showing police brutality in the U.S. I would add references but I have zero faith in Wikipedia whose English Language Admins seems to have been wholly co-opted by the intelligence community. I am working with people in India to create a truly independent online encyclopedia. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.162.4.7 (talk) 16:28, 20 December 2011 (UTC)

Why is it that the people who whine the most...never MOVE to India? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2606:A000:1018:4138:CDE9:FFBD:E276:708C (talk) 10:50, 13 July 2020 (UTC)

No mention of Syria?
I think YouTube is banned there. --MK (talk) 10:00, 10 October 2010 (UTC)

Turkey

 * Youtube is currently not allowed in Turkey. I can enter in to YouTube is very comfortable. Corrected that part. Thanks.--Reality006 (talk) 17:14, 7 February 2011 (UTC)

Somebody should explain why the section about the censorship of YouTube made in Germany by GEMA is always deleted. Does cersorship apply to Wikipedia too? Since when? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2001:470:1F06:28E:0:0:1B9B:1F54 (talk) 09:55, 9 January 2013 (UTC)

First episode of World Tomorrow interview with Hassan Nasrallah blocked?
There have been a few evolving versions of the following statement in the United States section on 18 and 19 July, this is the current version:
 * One copy of the first episode of World Tomorrow which features an interview with Hassan Nasrallah is currently (as of July 2013) blocked in the United States. Attempts to view the video result in the message "This video is not available in your country."  However, a different copy of the interview, also on YouTube, is not blocked.

--

I'm not sure what to make of this. We don't know why the one copy is blocked and the other copy isn't. Without knowing the reason, it is impossible to know if the block is censorship or something else. And we don't know if the block is just in the U.S. or if it applies elsewhere (I'm in the U.S.). In any case, unless someone can add a reference to a reliable third-party published source, I am inclined to delete the entire paragraph, but I'll wait a few days to see what develops. --Jeff Ogden (W163) (talk) 02:49, 20 July 2013 (UTC)

Censorship of YouTube outside of certain countries
This article currently lists countries that censor and/or block YouTube within their own countries. Would it also be applicable to list countries that block videos originating inside their country from being viewed in foreign countries (for reasons such as copyright)? Blahpy (talk) 04:24, 6 December 2013 (UTC)


 * Sure, but we'd need to find one or more sources to use. Do you know of any? --Jeff Ogden (W163) (talk) 05:23, 6 December 2013 (UTC)


 * While I can find channels that are blocked outside of their source country, I am not able to find a source. It would appear to be similar in effect to DVD region codes and I would assume (but as I said, I can't find a source to back this up, so it is only an assumption) that such restrictions are requested to be put in place by copyright holders. Blahpy (talk) 22:49, 6 December 2013 (UTC)


 * I don't think that qualifies as censorship. Toccata quarta (talk) 09:19, 6 December 2013 (UTC)

North / South Korea
North Korea is notably the most reclusive country in the world. No doubt the people there have no access to YouTube. However, the problem is the censorship in South Korea. All the postings on YouTube by username 'uriminzokkiri' are blocked in Korea. Try to use any Korea proxy and enter www.youtube.com/user/uriminzokkiri‎. You may see a weird page like this thumbnail. File:KCSC-Warning.png I presume that Internet_censorship_in_South_Korea might cover some of the situation but I guess South Korea at least put its name in the list of countries censoring YouTube. --5pm.hazyblue (talk) 10:42, 3 February 2014 (UTC)


 * If there is a reference to a reliable third-party source discussing this, it can be added to the article. Is there? --Jeff Ogden (W163) (talk) 23:27, 3 February 2014 (UTC)


 * That's the part that I want some help from you guys. I am in Korea and when I first saw the warning page I felt it was weird but unfortunately I don't think I could find any third-party sources. --5pm.hazyblue (talk) 00:25, 4 February 2014 (UTC)

corrected logic implied by "General" heading
How/When do corrections get reflected on parent page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube ??? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.183.128.21 (talk) 02:42, 26 April 2014 (UTC)

Malaysia
YouTube is not banned in Malaysia, so the map is wrong. I'm a Malaysian and I surf YouTube on a daily basis. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.188.211.12 (talk) 14:55, 28 August 2014 (UTC)

Inaccurate Map
On the map showing YouTube's censorship status in each country, the United States is marked as "previously blocked," but this really isn't correct. The U.S. has never blocked the website nationwide.

In the article's United States section, it says YouTube had been temporarily blocked only within Brigham Young University and the Department of Defense. For just two organizations, it's a bit deceptive to make the ENTIRE country depicted as "previously blocked" in the map.

Also in the U.S. section, it says the videos of Anwar al-Awlaki's sermons were removed from YouTube because they were incitements to murder. However, YouTube's uploading policy prohibits videos that would encourage committing terrorism, so this instance isn't so much U.S. government censorship as it is YouTube enforcing its own regulations.

Skeptical Unicorn (talk) 01:45, 22 June 2015 (UTC)

Did Sudan unblock YouTube?
I recently got 2 views from Sudan. Does this mean that Sudan unblocked YouTube?

19Joshua (talk) 13:51, 3 October 2015 (UTC)
 * My guess is that someone has used a proxy to pretend to be from Sudan without having the blocks and limitations of it. We should have a source before changing the content of the article. ~  Nott Nott  talk &#124; contrib 14:08, 3 October 2015 (UTC)

Blacklisted on Wikipedia?
Any idea why YouTube links seem to be blacklisted here on Wikipedia, at least the shortened format? ( .be format used when clicking the "Share" button there - can't even enter it here. ) ~ Zaelot (talk) 22:07, 11 December 2015 (UTC)

Terms of Service against YouTubers
The updated terms of service restrict YouTubers to the limitations below. Should this be included in the overall article ?

---

Advertiser-friendly content guidelines:

Content that is considered "not advertiser-friendly" includes, but is not limited to:


 * Sexually suggestive content, including partial nudity and sexual humor
 * Violence, including display of serious injury and events related to violent extremism
 * Inappropriate language, including harassment, profanity and vulgar language
 * Promotion of drugs and regulated substances, including selling, use and abuse of such items
 * Controversial or sensitive subjects and events, including subjects related to war, political conflicts, natural disasters and tragedies, even if graphic imagery is not shown

If any of the above describes any portion of your video, then the video may not be approved for monetization. If monetization is approved, your video may not be eligible for all available ad formats. YouTube reserves the right to not monetize a video, as well as suspend monetization features on channels that repeatedly submit videos violating our policies.

---

(Emphasis my own) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:49:8402:6f97:4551:52c4:25a6:ba01 (talk • contribs) 02:24, 1 September 2016 (UTC)
 * It's a primary source, which need to be used carefully. But this isn't censorship per se; its just defining what content Google is comfortable putting ads on. L Faraone 

Turkey block 2016 11.04.
Today the Turkish authorities blocked Youtube, Facebook, Whatsapp and so on. (source in Hungarian), and in English: .--Porbóllett (talk) 18:35, 4 November 2016 (UTC)

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Ethiopia
As of today, youtube seems to be blocked by Ethiocom, the country's sole ISP. I've been searching for confirmation but it is clearly the case on my side. Through a VPN such as Tunnelbear, of course, i can access the site. As I'm not sure I rather not edit the main page of this article, but would like to alert those who are following it. 213.55.107.118 (talk) 05:48, 25 January 2017 (UTC)

Widespread channel blocking in Poland, Germany, France, Israel
A rather large number of Youtube channels are blocked in these nations- not individual videos, just channels, which are inaccessible regardless of copyright (GEMA unrelated in Germany) or other apparent direct legalism. Most or all videos remain visible, but the channels give an error when attempts are made to access them. 174.62.150.66 (talk) 00:49, 18 April 2017 (UTC)

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Is the picture of the CEO of YouTube really necessary or relevant?
The use of the picture of the CEO who was installed at YouTube recently is not really necessarily relevant or needed here. I vote to remove it. Alialiac (talk) 15:37, 23 November 2017 (UTC)
 * Vote to remove it too. Needlessly breaks up layout of the article. The way it is structured is bad enough as it is. - throast 20:27, 1 June 2018 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Throast (talk • contribs)

Map shows ban in HK and Macau
The article states YouTube isn't blocked in either, but they appear red in the map. Is this because the map doesn't separate HK and Macau from the mainland? Thanks! 60.248.185.19 (talk) 03:52, 10 August 2018 (UTC)


 * The region is green right now. Gqqnb (talk) 15:48, 8 July 2022 (UTC)

Chinese control of Taiwan's internet
Posting this here to avoid a revert war (after my changes regarding this were reverted twice by Blue46gt without response to my edit summary's explanation). In the section about China's internet ban, the text states: "However, YouTube can still be accessed in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan." This is based on the source, which is state-run media. I argue that Taiwan should not be included here for the following reasons: 1) China does not control internet access in Taiwan; suggesting otherwise -- as listing Taiwan here does -- is misleading and not remotely relevant. 2) The source mentions Taiwan for obvious political reasons and its inclusion by China Daily cannot be used to justify mentioning Taiwan in this context in the Wiki article. Please share your thoughts. Thanks. 60.248.185.19 (talk) 08:16, 13 August 2018 (UTC)
 * Potential compromise: we simply state that the ban does not extend beyond mainland China. This is also more concise. Thoughts? 60.248.185.19 (talk) 08:38, 13 August 2018 (UTC)

Discussion From Blue46gt
Sounds reasonable, so I won't revert it back for now. But many people still confuse China with Taiwan.Blue46gt (talk)

South Sudan
Hi, the article says Youtube is banned in South Sudan for an anti-Islamic video. However, the source given only mentions Sudan and seen as South Sudan was independent by this time legislation from Khartoum would be irrelevant. Also, as South Sudan is Protestant majority with an almost negligible Muslim population the assertation seems highly unlikely. I don't normally edit Wikipedia so I feel it isn't my place to delete someone else's work myself but hopefully this is a useful comment. Cheers — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.27.29.207 (talk) 12:55, 18 March 2021 (UTC)

Conversely, Censorship  BY  YouTube
Perhaps there should be a complementary article involving documentation of systematic repression of expression by the second largest information website.JohndanR (talk) 15:45, 13 September 2021 (UTC)

What is a local version of Youtube?
File:YouTube Availability.png talks about "local YouTube version". What does it exactly defined? Does it mean the UI language? Or your base location so that YouTube can suggest videos nearby? Gqqnb (talk) 15:42, 8 July 2022 (UTC)

Afghanistan
The taliban bans all western made technology and since the taliban took power and YouTube is apart of western technology Afghanistan should be on the map as a place that currently blocks YouTube 2600:387:8:5:0:0:0:47 (talk) 02:23, 16 January 2023 (UTC)

What about censorship on Youtube?
Day by day, YouTube becomes more and more a network close to communist values. For several years they promoted experimental drugs and directly and indirectly contributed to harming people, hid the truth and deleted the channels of those who spoke the truth or had a different opinion. That's along with promoting gender ideology, climate change. But YouTube censors millions of users daily for personal opinions under various excuses, spam or content that violates the rules of the unvoted communist community. It's a shame that this platform is in the US, the so-called country of democracy. Years from now they will write about the dictatorship of social networks that does more harm than communism and Nazism combined. But money is the only value of these networks, which is why YouTube, which until soon allowed Indians to scold those who dared to question the politics of communist community rules, has completely dropped custumer service. 79.112.192.177 (talk) 19:38, 30 July 2023 (UTC)


 * This all sounds like WP:OR or, at the very least, far from anything actually reported by WP:RS. Unless you can provide sources, stuff like this can't be added, because Wikipedia is WP:NOTAFORUM. ASpacemanFalls (talk) 08:16, 31 July 2023 (UTC)
 * I don't agree with the OP about...well, virtually all of that BUT it's clear that Youtube censorship of people using the platform is rampant, insidious and opaque as hell. I think we know enough from Snowden to at least ask relevant questions as to who really controls this stuff. For example, ADL is a "trusted partner" of Gootoob, and as such is given the task/honour/access to "moderate" comments for hate speech. Well, the ADL's definition of hate speech is the same as the IHRA definition, which in a nutshell brands all criticism of the Zionist enterprise as Jew hate, a baseless and disgusting slander. In short, I'm genuinely surprised that such an article hasn't been written yet about YouTube, especially inasmuch as there would surely be plenty of grist for the mill from all sides of whatever argument one cares to examine. 142.126.188.216 (talk) 01:37, 13 November 2023 (UTC)

Belgium
In Belgium making a copy of digitals is only legal if it is

(1) provided by a legal distribution service and (2) only used for private and family use

Distribution has to adhere to

(1) have permission from the creators and (2) pay a fee to the creators

According to these laws many movies, shows and albums are illegal content on YouTube. Watching illegal content is not prosecuted because of the cost of tracking users, distribution on the other hand is prosecuted in Belgium.