Tell YouTube: Stop Promoting Gun Videos to Kids

On September 4, a 14-year-old student in Georgia shot and killed two of his classmates and two teachers. Eight others were wounded.

The school shooting came as YouTube – a platform that millions of children and teens use daily – is facing criticism for promoting gun-related content to minors. A recent investigation revealed that YouTube’s algorithm is pushing videos about firearms, including tutorials on assembling and modifying guns, directly to young users. This is not just irresponsible—it's dangerous.

Exposing children to content that glorifies guns or teaches them how to use and modify firearms poses a serious risk to their safety. At a time when gun violence is an all-too-frequent tragedy, YouTube’s content recommendation system is failing to protect young users.

Experts in child safety and digital media warn that YouTube's practices are normalizing guns among impressionable minds. “YouTube’s algorithm is pushing gun content to minors at a time when we should be doing everything possible to keep kids safe. This is not just a failure of content moderation but a failure of responsibility,” one expert noted.

This isn’t the first time YouTube has faced criticism for exposing children to harmful content. In the past, the platform has promoted videos featuring inappropriate content like self-harm, dangerous pranks, and conspiracy theories. Despite promises to improve, these issues keep resurfacing, raising serious questions about YouTube’s commitment to protecting its youngest users.

YouTube and its parent company, Google, must take immediate action. We’re calling on YouTube to adjust its algorithms, enforce stricter content moderation, and ensure that young users are not exposed to dangerous content.

Sign this petition to demand that YouTube stops promoting gun-related content to children. Our kids deserve a safe online environment—without content that could lead to harm. It’s time for YouTube to take responsibility and protect its youngest users.