As a firearms content creator, the new firearms content policies implemented by YouTube on 06/18/2024 have significantly impacted my work and my passion to educate my audience about firearms. I am not alone. A large number of content creators have also been affected, their ability to produce engaging and educational content on this topic severely restricted.

YouTube, a platform that champions itself as a beacon of free speech, has unfortunately drawn a line with these policy changes that not only hurt us creators but also infringe on our right to freedom of speech. The current policies are causing harm to the firearms community, a community that uses the platform not for promoting violence or illegal activities but for sharing knowledge, techniques, safety measures, and the culture surrounding firearms.

While it is essential to have policies in place to prevent the distribution of harmful or dangerous content such as pornography and snuff films, the current policies enacted go beyond this and into the territory of censorship of a law-abiding community. The result is a stifling of creativity, an enforcement of restriction, and an infringement of our desire to share our passion with our followers and the wider YouTube community.

We understand the necessity of maintaining a safe and supportive platform. Nonetheless, we urge YouTube to redact all policy changes that don't directly relate to the prevention of explicit adult content or snuff films, and instead, join us in focusing on emphasizing responsible, legal, and safe use of firearms.

We are asking YouTube to revise the referenced policies, to consider their impact on creators like myself and many others, and to recognize the negative implications on our rights to freedom of speech and expression. Please sign this petition to support our plea.