YouTube shutting down Cannabis related channels

[analytika]

On the technology assisted, ideologically driven narrowing of acceptable and permitted topics of speech.

You're naive if you think this has "nothing to do" with the shutdown of online free expression on cannabis.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/08/opinion/intellectual-dark-web.html

The key takeaways are:

This politically driven wave of censorship is, in fact, against the tide of market forces.

Shrewd entrepreneurs are seizing the opportunities it represents, and often profiting.

But anyone familiar with increasing returns to scale economics, and the rigid, unforgiving corporate cultures of the dominant monopolies -- fiercely opposed to individual privacy and freedom -- should be terrified.

 

[Likes2vape]

I think YouTube is just following the new USA net laws where a host company can be held liable for the content it hosts. The same as Craigslist removing all its personal ads, backpage, etc. As was said earlier gone are the Wild West days of the internet it seems like more restrictions are coming.

 

[Tranquility]

I think YouTube is just following the new USA net laws where a host company can be held liable for the content it hosts. The same as Craigslist removing all its personal ads, backpage, etc. As was said earlier gone are the Wild West days of the internet it seems like more restrictions are coming.

Craigslist was probably smart. The law's attempt to reduce human trafficking was sure to point to one of its personal ads one day and a Constitutional argument is an expensive one to make. The odd thing has to do with the law's slight changing of what Section 230 protections are available to websites. Some say subtle changes in wording could leave all webmasters with no guidelines to what actions would give protection or not. I think some are using that alleged ambiguity to take actions against free speech they already wanted to for other reasons. (Obviously, not "free speech" as in government regulation, but free speech on the public's attitude to some saying things some don't like.)

 

[Edgedamage]

Ruffhouse studios got axed. They had good cooking tips.

 

[ccchase420]

TheCCC420 has privated all its videos in light of this new policy change..or whatever it is. Hopefully when the dust settles we can figure something out without being banned. Until then we're looking at finding a new platform or possibly trying to create our own. Not too big on the current options out there.

 

[Hackerman]

I am just wondering if all the people that are using Instagram realize that they are possibly next. And, Facebook.

I doubt this will stop with YouTube.

 

[biohacker]

What the fucking fuck is this? Communism?? Seriously!

 

[FlavorChaser]

Of my 15 or so YouTube subscriptions that are cannabis related, 9 channels have been deleted. It seems that those that remain, with the exception of 1, all have businesses/web sites where they sell stuff too. So maybe having an independent revenue generating business allows you to fly under the radar for cannabis related video content.

 

[Hey Nineteen]

I am just wondering if all the people that are using Instagram realize that they are possibly next. And, Facebook.

I doubt this will stop with YouTube.

If Instagram did this I would have 0 use for the platform. At least YouTube is still somewhat useful.

 

[BabyFacedFinster]

I don't give a shit about the reasons why, it just fucking sucks.

I don't even want to go over to youtube anymore. I go there because I have to, like for an instructional video or something, but I no longer hang at youtube for entertainment. The entertaining part is now gone, and YT can go fuck themselves. I am now paying for a spotify subscription just so I don't have to depend on YT for my music anymore.

And quite honestly, why do sites like Bubbleman's World, which is practically all about "how to" videos, get to stay while others get cut? It makes me not even want to watch the channels that remain because it pisses me off that they get different treatment.

Even if YT opened it back up again, I would never forgive them for this shit.

 

[Ramahs]

Youtube's been on decline for me for a long time with me, to the point that some of the cannabis-related product reviewers were the only thing keeping me coming back.

I can remember years ago when it was a regular thing for me to come home, make some food, and sit down and open my Youtube subscription feed, skimming through it and watching anything that looked interesting. There was a large variety of interests covered, many of which were from channels that were small and had people who were really passionate and knowledgeable and were focused on sharing knowledge, expertise with others interested in the same things that they were (hobbies, current news, educational topics, etc...).

As time went on though, many of those started to make it to my feed less and less, and I'd sometimes go to their channels and see a lot that I'd missed that hadn't made it into my subscriptions feed. Then, many of them just stopped showing up all together as rules Youtube began implementing had been making it harder for them to make the small amounts of money they were making to help cover their costs...because they had jobs and real lives and were doing what they did simply to share with the community that is into the same things they are.

Now all that's in my subscription feed is a handful of now big-name sponsored channels that release a bunch of videos a day. Youtube just basically got rid of all the "non-mainstream" stuff...but all that kind of niche-interest stuff was most of what I liked about Youtube.

Whatever, I guess...

 

[YaMon]

This article sheds some light on how YT is doing this, but still not the why: https://merryjane.com/news/youtube-is-shutting-down-marijuana-channels

More importantly @ohmygodimsohigh @psychonaut @VCBud there are former YT channels banning together to confront YouTube. If more channels ban together and the public has some medium to support the message to show YouTube numbers.. well who the fuck knows? Just hoping the tide has not shifted so much that we've permanently lost access to invaluable Cannabis related content. Respect! -YaMon

 

[Hogni]

Same as German weed channels without any reason in German laws. Just a general decision of YT US HQ.

 

[Hackerman]

Here is another thought.

Maybe Youtube is not going to be sold... like I originally suggested.

Perhaps they are about to announce that all PAYING subscribers may return their videos to their channel but FREE channels will remain banned.

That's pretty bold but I can't believe they make enough money with banners and click ads. I believe they know the future will need a solid income base of paying subscribers. I believe content will always be free for viewers but uploaders will have to pay.

Just tossing it out.

 

[MegaMan2k]

I thought i was having some kind of crazy conspiracy moment on YT the other night,
But it does indeed seem like YT favors certain content and “slows down” other content.

Also suprises me that we have censorship in 2018
Should we go back to gassing the jews and enslaving people aswell?
I thought we were past all this as humanity

 

[Summer]

I agree with mj censorship in 2018, but I don't see how youtube as a business censoring their site's content in anyway equates to:

Should we go back to gassing the jews and enslaving people aswell? I thought we were past all this as humanity

Rather extreme & to me, personally, offensive. You can't equate banning mj on youtube with the Holocaust or slavery. Banning mj has nothing to do with humanity.

 

[deadlytoaster]

^ I'm not sure about what you mean. Do you believe cannabis should be censored in 2018?

IMO, absolutely nothing should be censored (aside from child porn and the likes). See - Fahrenheit 451 (the book). Destruction of intellectual discussion, property, etc leads to nothing good aside from a single sided worldview.

It's not just cannabis channels under the radar - chemistry channels, firearms, drug educational videos (legal and not legal), 'controversial' discussion, etc.

It's a violation of freedom of speech. Granted, it's their platform and they can do as they please, but it's ridiculous. The internet is the best medium to display freedom of speech, and when that freedom becomes severely restricted... uh oh.

I'm no conspiratard, but it's evident that big media is taking over the internet and it's not a good thing.

 

[Summer]

No, I was saying that it's ridiculous that in 2018 there is censorship of mj on youtube when slowly but surely it's being legalized around the world. But I don't see it as a violation of free speech as youtube owns their platform so, right or wrong, they can do as they wish.

 

[deadlytoaster]

Yeah exactly. Hell in a couple months, cannabis is legal, nationwide in Canada!

It's a violation of freedom of speech on a basic level, but of course they can do anything they want since it's their platform and they can do as they please without any legal repercussions.

The worst part is, YouTube is so deeply entrenched in our online culture now that finding a new open platform with such large viewership is practically impossible.

 

[Summer]

If people are inclined to search they will find the displaced youtubers on different platforms in the future like instagram, vimeo or on their own websites. I follow 420vapezone, puffitup, rastabuddhatao, boundless, as well as others on instagram. Heck, maybe someone will start a strictly cannabis version of youtube.

 

[howie105]

YT is product and as such the management will do whatever is necessary to protect and expand its bottom line including controlling content. As much as that sucks its the way media has always worked in this country. Print, radio film and television are all loaded with profit driven content decisions we just donh't notice it most times because its been going on for all our lives. So screw YT and just stop using it.

 

[hibeam]

The Weed Tube will still be at the mercy of Google and its parent company Alphabet for content creators and viewers who do not use the dark web to search and promote. 60 Minutes last night had an expose on Google and the lack of anti-trust court action against monopolizing the internet.

Suddenly everything about our world has been irrevocably complicated by a new ruling class, and we still have not liberated ourselves of the old ones. And there will always be those of us who adapt and those of us who get lulled into a false sense of security and complacency. The internet used to be my main tool in life, and perhaps it is time for me to create more off-line channels of information for myself.

 

[Ramahs]

It sucks that Youtube is taking down cannabis-culture channels. I dislike it, and I will be cutting out most of my youtube usage because of it.

However, no one's freedom of speech is being denied here, as freedom-of-speech concerns what the government allows. The government is not preventing youtube from allowing these channels. Youtube is a private business, and private businesses/property owners are not required to give anyone a microphone/soapbox as a right. The business or property owner has every right to say that someone does not have a right to say certain things while that person is in their business (in this case, that translates to on their website), lest the business/property owner will tell them to leave.

 

[analytika]

If people are inclined to search they will find the displaced youtubers on different platforms in the future like instagram, vimeo or on their own websites.

Are you sure about that @Summer?

What if the search indexes are the next wave of Google's reign of censorship terror?

https://reason.com/volokh/2018/05/17/google-now-deindexing-some-web-pages-at

"Google has decided to deindex based on ... Administrative agency findings that sites illegally distribute material that risks physical harm to consumers".

Google is already using FDA rulings to target individual websites and remove them from Google search results.

Under this standard, but for the Trump Administration shelving Obama's anti vaping regulations, Google might now be removing content from their search indexes that promote vaping technologies not approved by the U.S. government.

It raises the prospect of deindexing sites that promote use of scheduled drugs including cannabis.

This is the same company that owns YouTube, and has often promoted the application of uniform standards across the entire Alphabet portfolio of companies.

Cannabis sites may be headed for the Dark Web.

 

[Hackerman]

Duh. There are other search engines besides Google. No one HAS to use Google OR Youtube. There are alternatives to both.

That is why neither can ever 'control' the internet. LOL

It's really up to the people but most are such sheeple that they go where the masses go. If every single person on the internet simply stopped using Google and stop using Youtube, they would both be gone in very short order.

In case you haven't noticed WE control the internet... not THEM.

Damn sheeple. LOL