Why I think the AgeGate is great.

Is AgeGate a good initiative?

  • Total voters
    20
Personally... I don't mind it, simply because, as some have already mentioned, we had the 18+ restricted videos that you had to sign in to verify you were of the right age. So it's not exactly never been there, it's just hiding the videos instead. Now this can be approached in a more positive way...
For example: It opens up the already congested YouTube content that may originate around what your content is about, why does this benefit you? Because if you can hit the points that YouTube can validate that your content is suitable for younger audiences, your content is likely to be promoted over an individual who might often sink you out of your own remit simply because unfortunately they don't meet the points YouTube want it to hit.

Now tackling the whole 'it is hiding videos from younger audiences that shouldn't be hidden'. I can't recall the last invention of anything that never had 'teething problems' to start with. Algorithms change and get worked on. It's all just a big test, even after product release. Like your own content, sometimes you review it and think 'I could have done better there' or 'I wish I never did that'. So in the future you perfect your content and ensure you don't hit those bad points. Youtube and many other corporations do the same.
It's all just a testing ground.

It has its bad points and it has its good in my opinion.
 
I think it's there to help filter out "non-appropriate" content for advertisers as well as "protecting" the kids. Loads of advertisers are pulling out of Youtube atm due to complaints that their ads are appearing alongside "inappropriate" content. (Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/google-apologizes-youtube-ads-1.4033046 ) I'm pretty sure AgeGate is a way for YouTube to tackle that issue too. After all, if there are no advertisers, there would very quickly be no YouTube at all.
 
Well as some others said it is filtering out a LOT of stuff. I noticed Call of Duty related vids on my channel were being hidden and COD YouTubers had very few vids left on their channels with the restriction on.

If you type in Call of Duty in the search bar with the restriction off there are 54 million results. With the restriction there are 21.3 million results. What's left are mostly nerfgun/lego/product reviews. Such a huge blanket restriction is definitely going to have an impact.

Those are some big channels who have audiences full of teenagers and it makes me wonder how this is going to impact their ad revenue long term. I can't say all of the content is suitable for younger audiences but channels that rely on younger audiences to watch call of duty content for their ad revenue might be rather upset by this?

COD is an example of something that mostly has a younger audience and YouTube is potentially hiding COD videos from its primary age demographic.
 
I do hope they release a objective list of content that will cause a video to be restricted. If they do that, then I'm 100% behind restricted mode.
 
YouTube restrictions have been around for about 4 years now and have recently been restricting anything with mature content, they've even blocked the LGBTQ+ by having tags such as 'gay' or 'trans'. The LGBTQ+ is a community that the YouTube community has been supporting/respecting for many years.

They even brought up a proposition of having age filters. For example, if you're 14 and you made an account with your real age if you search up YouTubers such as PewDiePie, JennaMarbles, etc; their content will be blocked and they won't show whatsoever due to you being underage for their content.

YouTuber's CEO Susan Wojcicki has even spoken about this topic saying they're currently fixing it and they hear us and they understand the problem, but they haven't done a thing. People always want to watch people being people, not having their content being blocked for who they are.

By YouTube policy, they don't deal with hate comments towards anybody's race, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status, and sexual orientation/gender identity. YouTube is technically breaking their own policy because they are blocking content having to do with sexual orientation and gender identity.

YouTube's future is slowly dying as we speak. I personally love YouTube and it's a good platform for entertainment and advice. YouTube is also playing with our subscription box, many creators are receiving comments of people saying that they're randomly unsubscribed.

This filter and content restrictions are absolutely wrong. YouTube is a place where people can be safe and that they can be who they are no matter what. Every YouTuber and every person who isn't even involved in politics and/or the LGBTQ+ will even affect them.

I'm not sure if I'm the only one thinking this way but please, put your own opinions and comments down below. I'm not the type of person that bashes on people on what their opinions on politics and other topics. I love to hear other people's opinions so I can get a better idea and get more information/facts on a topic.
 
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