(RepublicanPress.org) – All the major Big Tech companies, including Meta (Facebook, Instagram) and Google, have implemented restrictions on the sales of firearms and some accessories. Twitter’s policy focuses more on restricting promotional content and advertising than user-generated content. YouTube (a Google-owned company) recently announced its decision to update its policy, expanding it to include more prohibited activity and implementing age restrictions — sparking protests from gun rights advocates.
Richard Hayes, a Houston-based lawyer, YouTube content creator, and co-host of the Armed Attorneys Channel, emailed The Epoch Times to discuss YouTube’s firearms restrictions. He advised that the platform had already censored content on his streaming program and said the company’s representatives had been unresponsive to his inquiries about the restrictions.
Hayes’ email warned that everyone needed to prepare for the eventuality that the “scope of [YouTube’s] mandate” would eventually impact all Second Amendment supporters and content creators on the platform.
Several gun rights groups have spoken out against YouTube’s revised policy, claiming Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg pressured the platform into increasing its restrictions. Aidan Johnston, the head of federal affairs for Gun Owners of America, recently called on Congress to launch an investigation into the origins of YouTube’s latest round of restrictions.
YouTube’s new firearms policy will take effect on June 18. Under those guidelines, users won’t be able to sell firearms or certain accessories, such as high-capacity magazines and ammo belts, bump stocks and other devices used to convert a firearm to automatic fire, and other components that enable guns to “simulate automatic fire.”
The video-sharing platform also bars clips from providing instructions on manufacturing firearms, ammo, high-capacity magazines, suppressors/silencers, and devices used to simulate or enable automatic fire. Instruction videos on removing certain safety devices are also banned.
Likewise, age restrictions include prohibitions for users under 18 on content depicting the use of automatic and homemade firearms. YouTube’s policy also includes a ban on clips discussing accessories to simulate or enable automatic fire, homemade suppressors/silencers, and high-capacity magazines.
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