New and Noteworthy from The Gothamist, original article by Giulia Heyward
Alvin Bragg, the district attorney for Manhattan, claims that YouTube is taking action against videos that demonstrate how to assemble, market, and even take apart the safety features on some firearms.
The district attorney pushed the site to resolve the issue in a letter from April, which is when the video hosting service updated its policies.
“We have heard firsthand from young individuals that YouTube’s algorithm is driving them to the world of illegal and 3-D printed firearms, which is having a direct impact on the safety of Manhattanites,” Bragg said in a statement on Wednesday.
He added that his office would continue to “use every tool at our disposal to address illegal weapons in our communities.”
Authorities have been sounding the alarm on the number of “ghost guns” and 3-D printed firearms they continue to apprehend each year. Both weapons can be manufactured by individuals, meaning they do not have a registered serial number and cannot be tracked by the government.
The number of ghost guns recovered by the authorities nationwide increased 1,073% between 2017 and 2021, according to a report last year from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
June 18 is the day on which the new requirements will take effect, giving the makers of these videos less than two weeks to check that their work complies with the new standards.
A spokesperson for the company said the changes “are part of our continued efforts” to crack down on “the current state of content on YouTube.”
“We regularly review our guidelines and consult with outside experts to make sure we are drawing the line at the right place,” said YouTube spokesperson Nicole Bell.
In April, Bragg focused on YouTube and its library of videos that provide viewers with detailed instructions on how to make and sell firearms.
He wrote to YouTube pointing out that there are many videos available on the site that are not age-restricted nor in violation of the platform's own community guidelines. He asked for a meeting with some of YouTube's representatives and pushed the company to alter its policy.
“I believe these steps are a public safety imperative to protect New York City residents, and especially our children from going down a dangerous path,” Bragg wrote in the letter.
In March, the Manhattan DA charged 18 people — some of whom were government employees — for their alleged involvement in a ghost gun ring. That same month, the parents of a Bronx teenager who was fatally shot with a ghost gun sued the company that manufactured the weapon.
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Gothamist Article:
https://gothamist.com/news/youtube-revises-guidelines-to-try-and-limit-gun-related-content-manhattan-da-says