Hate Speech Policy
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Hate speech policy
YouTube does not allow unauthorized impersonation of a person, entity, or channel that may mislead viewers in a way that could harm the YouTube community. Impersonation may include deceptively copying the branding, content, or usernames of individuals, channels or entities. It may also include using AI to copy the voice or likeness of an individual, to make it appear as if the channel is owned or authorized by that individual. YouTube also enforces trademark holder rights.
- The page also says YouTube bars misleading impersonation, including AI copies of voice or likeness Content & IP Rights
Hate speech is not allowed on YouTube. We don’t allow content that promotes violence or hatred against individuals or groups based on any of the following attributes, which indicate a protected group status under YouTube’s policy:
- Hate speech is not allowed: content promoting violence or hatred against protected groups Content & IP Rights
- In rare cases YouTube may remove content or penalize creators for patterns of hateful or abusive behavior Content & IP Rights
- Event denial, slurs aimed at anyone, and modded games promoting hatred are also examples of violations Content & IP Rights
- Age
- Caste, Ethnicity, or Race
- Disability
- Immigration Status
- Nationality
- Religion
- Sex, Gender, or Sexual Orientation
- Veteran Status
- Victims of a major violent event and their kin
In some cases, we may make exceptions for content with educational, documentary, scientific, or artistic context, including content that is in the public’s interest.
- Hate speech is not allowed: content promoting violence or hatred against protected groups Content & IP Rights
- Don't post content meant to encourage violence or incite hatred against protected groups Content & IP Rights
- YouTube may also make exceptions for public-interest content such as political proceedings Content & IP Rights
If you find content that violates this policy, report it. Instructions for reporting violations of our Community Guidelines are available here. If you've found a few videos or comments that you would like to report, you can report the channel.
- You can report content or a whole channel that violates this policy Content & IP Rights
What this policy means for you
If you're posting content
Don’t post content on YouTube if the purpose of that content is to do one or more of the following:
- Don't post content meant to encourage violence or incite hatred against protected groups Content & IP Rights
- Encourage violence against individuals or groups based on their protected group status. We don’t allow threats on YouTube, and we treat implied calls for violence as real threats. You can learn more about our policies on threats and harassment.
- Incite hatred against individuals or groups based on their protected group status.
Other types of content that violates this policy
- Dehumanizing language, inferiority claims and hateful slurs or stereotypes also violate the policy Content & IP Rights
- Dehumanization of individuals or groups by calling them subhuman, comparing them to animals, insects, pests, disease, or any other non-human entity based on their protected group status.
- Praise or glorification of violence against individuals or groups based on their protected group status.
- Use of racial, religious, or other slurs and stereotypes that incite or promote hatred based on protected group status. This can take the form of speech, text, or imagery promoting these stereotypes or treating them as factual.
- Claim that individuals or groups are physically or mentally inferior, deficient, or diseased based on their protected group status. This includes statements that one group is less than another, calling them less intelligent or less capable. This also includes calls for the subjugation or domination over individuals or groups based on their protected group status.
- Promotion of hateful supremacism by alleging the superiority of a group over those with protected group status to justify violence, discrimination, segregation, or exclusion. This includes content containing hateful supremacist propaganda, such as the recruitment of new members or requests for financial support for their ideology, and music videos promoting hateful supremacism in the lyrics, metadata, or imagery.
- Conspiratorial claims that individuals or groups are evil, corrupt, or malicious based on their protected group status.
- Hateful conspiracy claims and denying major violent events are not allowed Content & IP Rights
- Denial or minimization of a well-documented, major violent event or the victimhood of such an event.
- Hateful conspiracy claims and denying major violent events are not allowed Content & IP Rights
Educational, documentary, scientific, and artistic content
We may allow content that includes hate speech if that content includes additional educational, documentary, scientific, or artistic context. Additional context may include condemning, refuting, including opposing views, or satirizing hate speech. We may also make exceptions for content that is in the public’s interest, such as congressional or parliamentary proceedings, campaign speeches, or debates over ongoing government actions. This is not a pass to promote hate speech. Examples include:
- YouTube may allow hate speech shown with educational, documentary, scientific or artistic context Content & IP Rights
- YouTube may also make exceptions for public-interest content such as political proceedings Content & IP Rights
- A documentary about a hate group: Educational content that isn’t supporting the group or promoting ideas would be allowed. A documentary promoting violence or hatred wouldn’t be allowed.
- A documentary about the scientific study of humans: A documentary about how theories have changed over time, even if it includes theories about the inferiority or superiority of specific groups, would be allowed because it’s educational. We won’t allow a documentary claiming there's scientific evidence today that an individual or group is inferior or subhuman.
- Historical footage of an event, like WWII, which doesn't promote violence or hatred.
This policy applies to videos, video descriptions, comments, live streams, and any other YouTube product or feature. Please note these policies also apply to external links in your content. This can include clickable URLs, verbally directing users to other sites in video, as well as other forms.
- The policy covers videos, descriptions, comments, live streams and external links Content & IP Rights
For educational, documentary, scientific, or artistic content that includes hate speech, this context must appear in the images or audio of the video itself. Providing it in the title or description is insufficient.
- YouTube may allow hate speech shown with educational, documentary, scientific or artistic context Content & IP Rights
Monetization and other penalties
- In rare cases YouTube may remove content or penalize creators for patterns of hateful or abusive behavior Content & IP Rights
In some rare cases, we may remove content or issue other penalties when a creator:
- In rare cases YouTube may remove content or penalize creators for patterns of hateful or abusive behavior Content & IP Rights
- Repeatedly encourages abusive audience behavior.
- Repeatedly targets, insults, and abuses a group based on protected group status across multiple uploads.
- Exposes a group with protected group status to risks of physical harm based on the local social or political context.
- Creates content that harms the YouTube ecosystem by persistently inciting hostility against a group with protected group status for personal financial gain.
Examples
- YouTube's examples of banned hate speech include celebrating violence, animal comparisons and inferiority claims Content & IP Rights
Here are examples of hate speech not allowed on YouTube.
- YouTube's examples of banned hate speech include celebrating violence, animal comparisons and inferiority claims Content & IP Rights
- “I’m glad this [violent event] happened. They got what they deserved [referring to people with protected group status].”
- “[People with protected group status] are dogs” or “[people with protected group status] are like animals.”
More examples
- YouTube's examples of banned hate speech include celebrating violence, animal comparisons and inferiority claims Content & IP Rights
- “Get out there and punch a [person with protected group status].”
- “[Person with protected group status] is scum of the earth.”
- “[People with protected group status] are a disease.”
- “[People with protected group status] are less intelligent than us because their brains are smaller.”
- “[Group with protected group status] have an agenda to run the world and get rid of us.”
- “[Person with protected group status] shouldn't be educated in schools because they shouldn't be educated at all.”
- “All of the so-called victims of this violent event are actors. No one was hurt, and this is just a false flag.”
- “People died in the event, but a truly insignificant number.”
- Shouting “[people with protected group status] are pests!” at someone regardless of whether the person does or does not have the alleged protected group status.
- Video game content which has been developed or modified (“modded”) to promote violence or hatred against a group with any of the attributes noted above.
Please remember these are just some examples, and don't post content if you think it might violate this policy.
- YouTube's examples of banned hate speech include celebrating violence, animal comparisons and inferiority claims Content & IP Rights
What happens if content violates this policy
- Violating content is removed and you get an email; unverifiable links may be removed Content & IP Rights
If your content violates this policy, we will remove the content and send you an email to let you know. If we can’t verify that a link you post is safe, we may remove the link. Note that violative URLs posted within the video itself or in the video’s metadata may result in the video being removed.
- Violating content is removed and you get an email; unverifiable links may be removed Content & IP Rights
If this is your first time violating our Community Guidelines, you'll likely get a warning with no penalty to your channel. You will have the option to take a policy training to allow the warning to expire after 90 days. The 90 day period starts from when the training is completed, not when the warning is issued. However, if the same policy is violated within that 90 day window, the warning may not expire and your channel may be given a strike. If you violate a different policy after completing the training, you will get another warning.
- A first violation usually brings a warning that can expire after 90 days if you take a policy training Account & Service Control
If you get 3 strikes within 90 days, your channel may be terminated. Learn more about our strikes system.
- Three strikes in 90 days, repeated violations or one severe case can end your channel or account Account & Service Control
We may terminate your channel or account for repeated violations of the Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. We may also terminate your channel or account after a single case of severe abuse, or when the channel is dedicated to a policy violation. We may prevent repeat offenders from taking policy trainings in the future. Learn more about channel or account terminations.
- Three strikes in 90 days, repeated violations or one severe case can end your channel or account Account & Service Control
- [The importance of context](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6345162)
- [Recent transparency report](https://transparencyreport.google.com/youtube-policy/removals)