YouTube Banning Gun Videos?

YouTube is now banning gun demonstration videos, and videos that promote the sale or purchase of firearm accessories.

After the major recent anti-gun hysteria and the tragic shootings, companies all over the US are polarized between supporting gun rights, and those advocating for sensible gun legislation. Google has made it clear where they stand on the gun debate. They don't want people to be informed about weapon accessories on their own website, and they do not want to be associated with any purchases of firearms or firearm accessories.

Updated YouTube Gun Policy

As a corporation they are free to do as they wish. This has angered and upset many pro-gun rights groups and many have already turned to alternatives and others are creating their own direct YouTube competitor. Real.video is one that has sprung from this ban by YouTube, it's a website that is still being developed, but people are unsure if it can even compete with YouTube's large market-share. Google had also recently banned cryptocurrency ads from their AdWords program. There are also others which emphasize the use of cryptocurrencies such as Viuly (its a relatively new cryptocurrency based video hosting site, proceed at your own risk).

Lately, Google has taken a more political tone. After being against SOPA, and several other intrusive bills within the US Congress, Google has been getting more involved with politics. Facebook, Twitter and Google are accused of mistreating american conservatives, and privacy advocates which has caused many community driven alternatives to expand. Google is becoming very protective of it's image and banning gun videos isn't going to make Google any friends and neither within the cryptocurrency space.

Personally, even though I am a strong advocate of gun rights, I personally wont make any moves against Google. Google is a reliable company, and even though their gun rights position and "free speech" position concerns me but honestly there aren't any very good competitors other than the main companies (Facebook, Twitter, Google), however I most certainly support an alternative to all these companies, so long as compensation is an option.