WASHINGTON–U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) called on YouTube to remove videos that guide viewers on how to manufacture and assemble unserialized, untraceable ghost guns. According to YouTube’s Community Guidelines, videos that aim to “instruct viewers on how to make firearms, ammunition, and certain accessories or instruct viewers on how to install those accessories” are prohibited on the platform.

“We write to express our serious concern that YouTube continues to host videos that instruct viewers on how to make and manufacture ghost guns. This content is a clear and direct violation of YouTube’s existing Community Guidelines on firearms,” the senators wrote to YouTube Chief Executive Officer Susan Wojcicki.

Ghost guns, which are easily assembled with a 3-D printer or a do-it-yourself gun making kit purchased from an unlicensed seller, can be obtained without passing a background check and have become the weapon of choice for gun traffickers, convicted felons, domestic violent extremists, and foreign terrorists. These weapons pose a distinct, deadly threat to communities across the country and impede law enforcement efforts to investigate crimes.

While YouTube has taken limited action to remove this dangerous content, the senators noted dozens of videos still on the platform today that violate existing guidelines and have been viewed millions of times.

“It took one researcher less than 10 minutes to locate dozens of additional videos that violated the same Community Guidelines on YouTube’s platform. These videos—accounted for in the attached appendix—have been viewed, collectively, more than two million times,” the group wrote.

Citing steps taken by the platform as, “insufficient,” and, “clearly not enough,” the senators called on YouTube to affirmatively and expeditiously enforce its own Community Guidelines on firearms and ensure the content it hosts does not exacerbate the threat of ghost guns.

“That YouTube has Community Guidelines in place to prohibit content instructing viewers on how to make firearms is a welcome initiative, but these policies must be enforced—and enforced strongly—to make any difference,” the group wrote. “It cannot be the case that YouTube is entirely reactive, removing these kinds of videos only when news outlets call public attention to violative content, when gun violence prevention advocates send letters listing specific YouTube videos that violate its Community Guidelines, or when congressional staff reach out to raise concerns about such videos.”

“Until YouTube devotes the time and resources necessary to actually enforce its Community Guidelines, the claim that safety is your highest priority rings hollow.”

The full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Ms. Wojcicki:

We write to express our serious concern that YouTube continues to host videos that instruct viewers on how to make and manufacture ghost guns. This content is a clear and direct violation of YouTube’s existing Community Guidelines on firearms, which provide that “[c]ontent intended to . . . instruct viewers on how to make firearms, ammunition, and certain accessories or instruct viewers on how to install those accessories is not allowed on YouTube.” While we acknowledge and appreciate that YouTube has engaged with congressional staff about this problem and, in recent weeks, removed some of these videos, we are alarmed that an extensive amount of this dangerous content still exists on YouTube. It appears that the steps that YouTube has taken thus far are insufficient.

Ghost guns are unserialized firearms that anyone can get their hands on—without a background check—and put together themselves with a 3D-printer or a do-it-yourself gun-making kit purchased from an unlicensed seller. It costs as little as a few hundred dollars to get the tools and parts to construct a ghost gun, and, with help from YouTube tutorial videos, can take less than an hour to put together.

As a result, ghost guns have become the weapon of choice for gun traffickers and convicted felons as well as domestic violent extremists and foreign terrorists. Federal, state, and local law enforcement officials have sounded the alarm that these untraceable firearms present a distinct and deadly threat and have exacerbated the scourge and surge of gun violence that has ravaged communities all across the United States.

Notwithstanding your clear Community Guidelines, YouTube has allowed numerous videos that provide explicit instructions on how to construct ghost guns to remain available on its platform, sometimes for years. In December 2021, NBC News, citing a letter from Everytown for Gun Safety that documented 15 examples of violative videos, reported that “dozens” of these videos were still watchable on YouTube. These videos, which were posted between 2013 and 2021, drew more than 5.7 million total views. NBC News also found that some of these videos were uploaded to “the same channels as the ones YouTube [previously] took down.”

During recent conversations with congressional staff about these videos, YouTube committed to addressing this issue and reviewing content on its platform to identify and remove videos that violated its Community Guidelines. While we appreciate that YouTube was willing to engage and that YouTube took some action to take down a number of videos determined to be in violation, this action was clearly not enough.

Following your review, it took one researcher less than 10 minutes to locate dozens of additional videos that violated the same Community Guidelines on YouTube’s platform. These videos—accounted for in the attached appendix—have been viewed, collectively, more than two million times. That view count continues to increase since these videos, as of February 11, 2022, remain on YouTube. In addition, using YouTube’s search feature and terms like “build pistol,” “polymer 80,” or “build 80,” would have returned dozens more examples. The titles of these videos alone—“How to build a p80” and “How to finish your 80% P320 insert”—should have been enough for YouTube to spot and take down these videos on its own.

That YouTube has Community Guidelines in place to prohibit content instructing viewers on how to make firearms is a welcome initiative, but these policies must be enforced—and enforced strongly—to make any difference. It cannot be the case that YouTube is entirely reactive, removing these kinds of videos only when news outlets call public attention to violative content, when gun violence prevention advocates send letters listing specific YouTube videos that violate its Community Guidelines, or when congressional staff reach out to raise concerns about such videos. YouTube owns and operates its service and bears responsibility for putting a safe product on the market. YouTube must be proactive and take affirmative steps on its own and expeditiously to enforce its Community Guidelines related to firearms.

Ghost guns pose a dangerous and deadly threat to communities across the country and make it more difficult for law enforcement to investigate those who exploit legal loopholes to get their hands on them. YouTube claims that “[t]he safety of our creators, viewers, and partners is our highest priority[,]”and your Community Guidelines make it clear that you agree that instructional videos on how to make ghost guns have no business being on YouTube’s platform. However, until YouTube devotes the time and resources necessary to actually enforce its Community Guidelines, the claim that safety is your highest priority rings hollow. YouTube can—and must—do more to ensure that the content it hosts does not exacerbate the threat of ghost guns.

In order to better understand YouTube’s handling of firearms-related content that violates your Community Guidelines, I ask that you provide written answers to the following questions no later than March 7, 2022.

1.      Does YouTube acknowledge that its Community Guidelines related to firearms prohibit content that provides instructions to viewers on how to construct a ghost gun or 3D-print a firearm? 

2.      Following recent discussions with congressional staff, YouTube conducted a review to determine whether certain content hosted on its platform violated its Community Guidelines related to firearms. Please describe the steps undertaken and methods employed to perform this review.

3.      How does YouTube monitor its platform and identify content that violates its Community Guidelines related to firearms before the content is reported by community members or other third-parties? 

a.      Does YouTube use machine-learning or other software and/or technology to monitor or prevent the posting or uploading of content that may or does, in fact, violate its Community Guidelines related to firearms?

 

                             i.            If so, how many violations or potential violations of YouTube’s Community Guidelines related to firearms were identified? 

 

1.      How does this figure compare to violations of YouTube’s Community Guidelines related to other prohibited content, including, but not limited to, child safety, suicide and self-harm, harassment and cyberbullying, and the sale of illegal or regulated goods or services? 

4.      What steps does YouTube take to prevent users who have repeatedly violated the firearms-related Community Guidelines from continuing to post or upload such prohibited content?

5.      Once YouTube has determined that content violates its Community Guidelines related to firearms, does YouTube review other content on the same channel or posted by the same user to determine whether additional content violates its Community Guidelines? 

6.      Please describe the processes, factors, and/or standards YouTube uses to evaluate content reported by community members as potentially violative of its Community Guidelines related to firearms.

a.      What is the average amount of time it takes for YouTube to make a determination on a community member’s report of a violation of the Community Guidelines related to firearms? 

b.      What is the average amount of time it takes YouTube to remove the prohibited content if it determines that the reported content violates its Community Guidelines?

c.       How does YouTube prevent prohibited content that is removed from being re-posted or re-uploaded to its platform? 

d.      What teams or individual roles at YouTube are responsible for making determinations concerning violations of the Community Guidelines related to firearms?

7.      Please provide any statistics YouTube maintains relating to— 

a.      The number of videos flagged or otherwise identified as potentially violating its Community Guidelines on firearms, including the number specific to ghost guns.

b.      The number of such videos determined to actually be in violation of its Community Guidelines on firearms, including the number specific to ghost guns.

c.       The number of videos actually removed from YouTube’s platform, including the number specific to ghost guns.

Thank you for your time and for your consideration.

Sincerely,