YouTube has altered its classifications of some LGBTQ-themed videos, following protests from users, including the musicians Tegan and Sara. The site had been criticised for having non-explicit videos featuring LGBTQ themes classed as restricted, which filters out “potentially inappropriate” content.

Tegan and Sara, who are both openly gay, were among those who complained about the policy, pointing out its absurdities in a series of tweets: “If you put @YouTube on restricted mode a bunch of our music videos disappear. … LGBTQ people shouldn’t be restricted. SAD!” Several of the Canadian sisters’ videos had been classed as restricted, despite the content being non-sexual, whereas others that were sexual but LGBTQ-themed were still available.

If you put @YouTube on restricted mode a bunch of our music videos disappear. I checked myself. LGBTQ people shouldn't be restricted. SAD! — Tegan and Sara (@teganandsara) March 19, 2017

Don't worry though. Our super sexual video about fruits and vegetables (Stop Desire) is still on @YouTube https://t.co/DAK1KNqCUI — Tegan and Sara (@teganandsara) March 19, 2017

Sadly our U-Turn video also is gone. Nothing gay in it accept us. Our dancing IS pretty bad. Must be why? @youtube is it our dancing? — Tegan and Sara (@teganandsara) March 19, 2017

Our super gay video for Be With You made it past the censors at @youtube though! Celebrate by watching it! https://t.co/ur8CVDexKh — Tegan and Sara (@teganandsara) March 19, 2017

YouTube tweeted on Monday 20 March that it might have made a mistake: “Some videos have been incorrectly labelled and that’s not right. We’re on it! More to come.” Although some videos were declassified, others remained restricted, prompting Tegan and Sara to respond.

Hey guys! We're available to chat if you guys want to explain why advice sites like @everyoneisgay is now restricted. Or why our dancing is! https://t.co/89MFvYSRS5 — Tegan and Sara (@teganandsara) March 20, 2017

The “restricted” designation lets parents, schools and libraries filter out content that isn’t appropriate for users under 18. Turning on the restriction makes videos inaccessible. YouTube calls it “an optional feature used by a very small subset of users”.



It’s unclear if the types of videos in question are now being categorised as restricted for the first time, or if this is a long-standing policy towards sexuality that is only now getting attention.

In an emailed statement, YouTube said: “Some videos that cover subjects like health, politics and sexuality may not appear for users and institutions that choose to use this feature.” Filtering out what is and isn’t appropriate can be difficult in the case of LGBT topics, which are by definition intertwined with health, politics and sexuality.

YouTube followed that statement with another hours later: “We recognise that some videos are incorrectly labelled by our automated system and we realise it’s very important to get this right. We’re working hard to make some improvements.” The company offered no further explanation.

YouTube content creators can age-restrict their videos themselves. But that’s just one of the ways sensitive content is filtered out. YouTube says it also uses “community flagging”, which means users can flag videos for possible restrictions or removal.

But just because something is flagged, it is not automatically removed. Once a video is reported, YouTube reviews it. “If no violations are found by our review team, no amount of flagging will change that and the video will remain on our site,” the company says on its online support page.

What sorts of content are filtered out in restricted mode can vary by region, based on countries’ community standards. In general, though, it includes “sexually explicit language or excessive profanity”, and violent or disturbing content, according to YouTube’s policies.

The website’s rules also state that videos “containing nudity or dramatised sexual conduct may be age restricted when the context is appropriately educational, documentary, scientific or artistic. Videos featuring individuals in minimal or revealing clothing may also be age restricted if they’re intended to be sexually provocative but don’t show explicit content.”

Videos that show adults engaging in “activities that have a high risk of injury or death” may also be age restricted.