Since 17 November, YouTube has been implementing an entirely new global regulatory policy to ban online content. The Platform will further strengthen the control of violent videos containing gambling elements and live video games, with the central objective of protecting minors from abuse. In Brazil, the new regulations will strictly follow the regulatory requirements of the Federal Government Award and the Lottery Secretariat (SPA) and the Advertising Guidelines of the Brazilian Committee for Self-Regulation of Advertising (Conar) to promote platform safety and responsibilities through concerted action by industry.
The most important change is that YouTube has significantly expanded its jurisdiction over online gambling content. In the future, any game conduct involving non-real currency gambling content — including the use of skin, NFT or other game virtual devices — that is not certified on Google sites will be restricted. The new policy covers video uploads, live broadcasts, demonstrations and even oral references to uncertified lottery services. YouTube points out that this update is aimed at the rapid growth of the digital-commodity gambling model, which is particularly impressive among young people. Social casino games previously regulated more liberally will face the same rules of closure. Even when true currency is not involved, this type of content automatically imposes restrictions on users under the age of 18. At the same time, YouTube has simultaneously upgraded the regulation of the content of physical violence games, which aims to reduce the exposure of adolescents to images of excessive bloodshed or psychological impact. The creators are required to retrospectively verify historical works, and the old video may be mounted or reclassified as inappropriate for minors. Channels will not be directly penalized during the transition period, but the creator will be asked to cooperate with the reorganization.
With regard to the promotion of illegal gambling, the new regulations will cut off the channels: long-term live broadcasting of channels promoting offshore unregulated gambling sites will face immediate age limits and repeat offenders will be targeted directly, with a focus on the 24-hour uninterrupted diversion to illegal platforms. According to Daniel Fortune, the producer of the content for responsible gambling education, this has improved the regulatory ecology. He pointed out that Brazil had banned the participation of minors in lottery and that advertising standards required a strict age hierarchy, but that it was still insufficient for platform technology to filter, and user education was at the core of risk reduction. Chief Executive Officer João Fraga of Paag stressed the need for a solid platform protection mechanism. Compliance should not stop at the appearance of visibility, and operators need to improve the tools for the conductor ‘ s gambling, including self-barrelment, deposit limits and behavioural analysis systems that allow early identification of problematic gambling. Psychologist Cristiano Costa, Chief Knowledge Officer of EBAC, stated that all lottery advertisements should identify risk attributes rather than emphasize recreation. He insisted on the need to label addiction warnings as research advertisements and that transparency should be the norm for all behaviour involving financial risk or impulse consumption.
This policy adjustment marks a shift in the global digital environment towards more prudential regulation. By combating illegal gambling, controlling the forms of digital gambling and reducing exposure to violence, the Platform actively aligns with legislative developments, industry standards and social expectations, with the core objective not only of compliance but also of building a safe digital environment for young people and promoting the continued expansion of the boundaries of industrial responsibility.