Balancing of Freedom of Expression and Community Guidelines for YouTube Content Creators

This paper indicates the importance of Freedom of Expression, especially fundamental rights of humans that are protected by international law. YouTube the popular free video-sharing website whereas content creators upload and make videos to share with others. YouTube provides opportunities for communication between viewers and content creators. Moreover, YouTube has a wide spectrum of content uploaded everyday while following the community guidelines to protect the safety of its users. Nonetheless, there are strict rules to follow and some content are affecting conflicts and self-censorship without adhering to the community guidelines. In addition, YouTube has complicated monetization policies that aim to maintain the quality of the content while simultaneously giving creators of content financial opportunities. The study highlights the importance of both human reviewers and algorithms in upholding rules while addressing the delicate balance between permitting freedom of expression and censoring content to avoid harm. The study also summarizes the complex problems with YouTube as a platform that strikes a balance between community safety, monetization policies, and creator expression.