YouTube Family Filter hides LGBTI-friendly content

A ‘family filter’ on YouTube is blocking LGBTI content from users.

When viewers use the restricted filter, content disappears, according to some YouTubers.

Gay YouTube personality Calum McSwiggan turned on the family filter and discovered all of his videos except for one disappeared.

Similarly, self-identifying queer Rowan Ellis found 40 of her videos disappeared.

Ellis said: ‘We don’t really know how long it’s been there.

‘But it’s something that people are just starting to realise the extent of, particularly with regard to LGBT content,’ she said.

McSwiggan says this filter is ‘offensive’ and ‘panders’ to people in the wrong way.

‘It’s completely backwards,’ he said.

McSwiggan also claims any LGBTI sex education videos disappear but heterosexual sex education videos stay.

In a statement to Attitude, a YouTube spokesperson said: ‘Restricted Mode is an optional feature used by a very small subset of users who want to have a more limited YouTube experience.

‘Some videos that cover subjects like health, politics and sexuality may not appear for users and institutions that choose to use this feature.’

McSwiggan claims the filters affect bisexual content, but only with same-sex content.

Twitter reacts to YouTube’s family filter

The reaction from Twitter has been swift, with many LGBTI YouTubers noticing their content missing too.

more evidence that the youtube restricted mode is basically an anti-lgbt+ filter:
ALL of @myabysslife & @AlyssaPacheco‘s vids are gone on it pic.twitter.com/GXfe7NBaH1

— Christy Bobby (@christybobby) 17 March 2017

okay if you have the filter on, @tyleroakley @troyesivan @ConnorFranta and @GodHatesMiles ‘s main channels don’t even show up, wtf @YouTube pic.twitter.com/SpGKfAMJmc

— em (@technicolorcjf) 19 March 2017

Viewers also discover Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears all fall victim to content disappearing.

youtube has a filter that restricts lgbt content but trump white nationalist neonazi propaganda is cool.

— jamie (@xfilesfanclub) 18 March 2017

Source: YouTube Family Filter hides LGBTI-friendly content

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