YouTube is updating its policies to age-restrict more content containing video game scenes with “graphic violence,” the company announced on Tuesday. Starting November 17, the updates will prevent accounts under 18 and signed-out users from watching videos with games focused on showing “realistic human characters” involved in scenes of “mass violence against non-combatants” or torture. It’ll also cover online gambling, even when no actual money is involved.
“Our policies are designed to evolve alongside the digital world,” the statement read. “We’re making these updates to keep pace with new trends, like gambling with digital goods, and to more closely align our guidelines for mature content with industry standards.”
The policy changes introduce clearer rules around three main categories of content: online gambling, social casino games, and graphic gaming content. YouTube will expand its enforcement on gambling-related material to include digital goods with monetary value–such as in-game skins, cosmetics, and NFTs–if they are linked to non-Google-certified gambling sites or apps.