YouTube clamps down on dangerous viral challenges in wake of Bird Box phenomenon

midian182

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Facepalm: YouTube is updating its policies in an attempt to stop people performing dangerous and potentially lethal challenges and pranks. The change follows the rise in popularity of the Bird Box challenge, which involves walking around, or even driving, while blindfolded.

While YouTube already bans “content that encourages violence or dangerous activities that may result in serious physical harm, distress or death,” it now explicitly prohibits “viral challenges and pranks.”

“We need to make sure what’s funny doesn’t cross the line into also being harmful or dangerous. We’ve updated our external guidelines to make it clear that we prohibit challenges presenting a risk of serious danger or death, and pranks that make victims believe they’re in serious physical danger, or cause children to experience severe emotional distress,” explains the service’s guidelines.

YouTube says there will be a two-month grace period to allow channel owners to review the updates and make changes to their content. Any violations will still be removed, but channels won’t receive a strike against them during this time. Additionally, channels that violate YouTube policies with video thumbnails or external web links will now receive strikes. Any that get three in 90 days will lose their accounts.

Bird Box, the Netflix horror starring Sandra Bullock, brought in 45 million viewers during its first week alone. The story involves creatures who show people visions that cause them to commit suicide. The only way to avoid this fate is to avoid looking, which is where the blindfolds come in.

With so many people keen to copy the characters in the movie—for some reason—Netflix was forced to put out a “PLEASE DO NOT HURT YOURSELVES WITH THIS BIRD BOX CHALLENGE” Tweet. But a 17-year-old girl from Utah didn’t listen, crashing a car she was driving while blindfolded.

This isn’t the first time YouTube has had to remove video challenges in which people could harm themselves. At the start of 2018, YouTube warned channels to stop sharing content showing people eating Tide Pods.

Another viral challenge from last year was the “Kiki Challenge,” which involved getting out of a moving vehicle and dancing alongside it to Drake’s “In my feelings” track.

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It's one thing to do a stupid "challenge" that can harm yourself, but it's totally unacceptable to do any form of 'challenge' that puts others' lives at risk. Anyone driving while blindfolded should have to do the "5 years in prison" challenge.
 
Long overdue. Sadly, too many of today's young people fail to realize the dangers of many of these challenges and subject themselves and others to ridicules risks that are not warranted regardless of reason.
 
Long overdue. Sadly, too many of today's young people fail to realize the dangers of many of these challenges and subject themselves and others to ridicules risks that are not warranted regardless of reason.
I know it's easy to do but please stop just thinking that it's only "young people" that do these kinds of things. There are *****s of all ages. After all, who was it who raised these 'young people'?
 
It's one thing to do a stupid "challenge" that can harm yourself, but it's totally unacceptable to do any form of 'challenge' that puts others' lives at risk. Anyone driving while blindfolded should have to do the "5 years in prison" challenge.

Double that, 10 years minimum or 5 with permanent driving suspension and a FAT fine. Bunch of ****ing degenerates...
 
So, no more ******* episodes? ;)

"Who'd have thought driving blindfolded might be dangerous?"

People who drive while playing on their phone won't "see" a problem driving blindfolded, as they are doing the exact same thing - not looking at the road. Might as well be blind. At least blindfolded you still have your hands on the wheel...
 
Let nature run its course.
If people are that dumb, let them run into a tree and fracture their skull.
 
Long overdue. Sadly, too many of today's young people fail to realize the dangers of many of these challenges and subject themselves and others to ridicules risks that are not warranted regardless of reason.
People will do anything trying to go viral...
 
A little jail time will go a long way as a deterrent.
I don't think jail time is sufficient for the one that dreamed up the challenge. Maybe it started off innocent. But more than likely it didn't.

I here by present the "Incite Danger Challenge". I Challenge anyone to find people who start these challenges and remove their freedom to incite by social media. And then publicize how their freedoms where taken away.

We always publicize all the crap people do, but we never publicize their prosecutions. The conditions of their prosecution should be to receive just as much attention as their trouble.
 
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Long overdue. Sadly, too many of today's young people fail to realize the dangers of many of these challenges and subject themselves and others to ridicules risks that are not warranted regardless of reason.

I mean, it's not like back in the 70s/80s the youth wan't just as ****ed in the head...
I don't recall anyone eating detergent, driving blindfolded or stuff like that. Just saw things like people drinking until they puke, eating some strange plant trying to get high and some fast driving. I guess smoking was nearly universal too though, they even used to call them cancer sticks. Drinking and driving was common.
Sure there was some dumb stuff, but this latest generation has upped it to a level even I can't even understand, eating detergent? driving blindfolded? WTF?
 
IMO, its about time that YouTub got on top of this. I am surprised that YouTub has not yet, AFAIK, been subject to a law suit by the family of anyone who has been seriously injured or killed because of :poop: like this on their platform. Then again, there is probably a disclaimer in their terms of service indemnifying them that you automatically agree to when you watch something on YouTub.

Its unfortunate, but there are some cases of stupid that probably cannot be fixed.
 
It's one thing to do a stupid "challenge" that can harm yourself, but it's totally unacceptable to do any form of 'challenge' that puts others' lives at risk. Anyone driving while blindfolded should have to do the "5 years in prison" challenge.

If the persons kill other peoples that way they should be trialed for murder.
 
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