LGBT advocates are sounding the alarm after Google’s YouTube discreetly removed language protecting “gender identity and expression” from its public hate speech policy this year. The change could be a sign that the video platform is moving towards free speech on contentious issues during Donald Trump’s second term.
Google’s YouTube, the world’s largest video sharing platform, is facing scrutiny from transgender advocates after it recently made a subtle but significant change to its hate speech policy. The phrase “gender identity and expression” was quietly removed from the list of protected categories sometime between late January and early February, according to archived versions of the policy page.
The change, which came shortly after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, has prompted concern from LGBT advocacy groups, who say it removes clarity around protections for transgender and nonbinary users on the platform, according to the Advocate.
In a statement to The Advocate, a YouTube spokesperson downplayed the revision, calling it a routine “copy edit” and claiming that enforcement of hate speech policies remains unchanged. However, the company has not provided a clear explanation for why explicit mention of gender identity was scrubbed, and gender identity is almost the entire identity for leftist radicals in the transgender movement.
“The larger implications of YouTube’s actions should concern everyone,” a GLAAD spokesperson told the Advocate. “When a company, or political leaders, decide that certain groups of people are to be seen as less than others — it too often results in real-world harm.”
They noted that YouTube scored only 58 out of 100 on GLAAD’s 2024 Social Media Safety Index, in part because it lacks clear policies protecting users from targeted “misgendering” and “deadnaming.” YouTube is also the only major platform evaluated that provides little transparency on wrongful demonetization and removal of LGBT content.
Google has been extending an olive branch to Donald Trump after ruthlessly censoring him and his supporters for many years. One suspected reason is the company’s desire for the DOJ to lighten its attack on the company’s antitrust business practices. As Breitbart News previously reported:
Google Chief Legal Officer Kent Walker has publicly criticized the DOJ’s proposals, calling them a “radical interventionist agenda that would harm Americans and America’s global technology leadership.” The company also highlighted its work with the government in using artificial intelligence to combat cybersecurity threats.
During the recent meeting with DOJ officials, Google representatives argued that the company’s critical importance to the U.S. economy and national security necessitates a more measured approach to antitrust remedies. They did not, however, raise specific threats stemming from the proposed changes.
Breitbart News will continue to report on Google’s potential change of heart towards free speech.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
