WTF?! YouTube has repeatedly faced accusations of censoring videos for reasons that often have little to do with illegal activity. The company routinely argues that certain clips could cause harm, even when the logic behind those claims is questionable or seems disconnected from the actual content.
YouTube censorship has become so widespread that it now has its own Wikipedia page. Yet the recent removal of a few tech-focused videos may be the most unusual cases to date. When asked for clarification, YouTube offered a confusing explanation that shed little light on the situation.
Rich, the host of the CyberCPU Tech channel, highlighted the new censorship case. He launched his channel on a whim after years of working as a computer technician. He features videos that explain common computer problems, along with gaming and retro-gaming content.
He recently uploaded a video showing how to install and use Windows 11 with a local account, a practice Microsoft now strongly discourages. YouTube removed the video shortly thereafter. Rich speculated that the takedown was a false positive caused by the platform's reliance on error-prone AI tools.
When YouTube removed a second video showing how to bypass hardware restrictions to install Windows 11, Rich grew concerned about censorship and the future of his channel. He has since posted another "reaction" video, sharing his perspective on what might be happening behind the company's closed doors.
The YouTuber now suspects Microsoft may be behind this unusual censorship incident. He appealed YouTube's decision, and the platform responded that the video received a warning strike for depicting "harmful or dangerous content." YouTube suggested that explaining how to install Windows 11 on unsupported systems could encourage dangerous or illegal activities that might cause harm or death.
He has received no clear explanation on how his video was causing "harm," leaving him to blame Microsoft and its software policies. However, Microsoft's involvement seems highly unlikely, as the company has deprioritized its Windows division. Redmond no longer pays attention to the widespread use of activation tools for pirated copies of the OS.
In any case, Rich now believes that this type of "illegal" how-to content is no longer welcome on YouTube. He has decided to comply with the trend, while lamenting that he may soon have no "controversial" computer-related topics left to share with his subscribers.