YouTube Bans Gun and Knife Videos In the UK

PatPending writes with a depressing excerpt from the UK's Metro: "The Google-owned video-sharing site YouTube has decided to introduce the ban [on weapons-related videos] for the UK only amid widespread unease about the increase in knife crime in the country. 'We recognise that there has been particular concern over videos in the UK that involve showing weapons with the aim of intimidation, and this is one of the areas we are addressing,' a YouTube spokesperson said. 'I would like to see other internet service providers follow suit to reinforce our message that violence will not be tolerated either on the internet or in the real world,' she said."

Comments

Re:'cause everyone knows

[h4rm0ny]

Knives are this month's hysteria in the UK. That's not to say there isn't a problem with knife use in the UK. And it isn't to say that videos on YouTube can't be used for intimidation of specific people and so should be removed in such cases. But one day, the media suddenly went into a feeding frenzy, police chiefs were trotting out their most ridiculous arrays or seized weapons (including a photo of a Star Trek replica weapon at one point) and Home Secretaries were trying to look all grave and serious talking about the knife epidemic sweeping our nation.

It may be a serious issue. But it's definitely something that Labour are trying to use for political gain and as a fear stick.

Really increased?

[duck0]

I remember hearing about this on BBC's radio4...

A quick search later found this article http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7421534.stm

According to the British Crime Survey (BCS), overall violent crime has decreased by 41% since a peak in 1995.
Knives are used in about 8% of violent incidents, according to the BCS, a level that has largely remained the same during the past decade.

However:

But the BCS figures do not include under-16s, something which the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced this month would change.

Awesome idea!

[uvajed_ekil]

This will work great, until every kid in the UK finds that he can replace the "uk" in "uk.youtube.com" with "www" and see awesome, inspirational stuff like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEoiu2Coxrc or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IHQqW8zOSk

Re:'cause everyone knows

[paganizer]

Interesting reality you live in there.
results of a really quick google search:
http://www.reason.com/news/show/28582.html (england & gun control)
the Obama thing is a little hard to pin down, as he has been pretty good at avoiding any straight answers. But you could start here: http://www.ontheissues.org/domestic/Barack_Obama_Gun_Control.htm
note: if you are pro-gun control, you obviously won't see anything wrong with this.

Re:'cause everyone knows

[atriusofbricia]

I'm not surprised you got modded "flamebait"; how DARE you criticize Obama! Besides, he is definitely NOT planning on the same thing as England, he just wants to ban all semi-automatic weapons; you could still have your double-barrel shotguns, bolt action rifles and single action revolvers as long as you live outside of an Urban area. I guess a person could be concerned that he hasn't defined what an Urban area is...but still, shut up! he Gives us hope!

But, you can only possess those as long as you can find a gun store which would still be in operation. Under a 1999 Obama proposal, all gun stores within five miles of any school or park. Such a law, if actually proposed and passed, would kill off pretty much every gun store in the country which wasn't way in the boonies. Now, this admittedly wasn't proposed as a bill (as that would require him to have actually done something). This was proposed in a speech at an anti-rights rally. Yep, a real rights supporter he. ;)