What to do about my barefoot running video being censored on YouTube?

Howdy Barefoot Runners--
I've been trail running and hiking barefoot for nine years now (since age 50); it brings me lots of joy, and sometimes I try to share that joy by making (admittedly silly) videos, which I post on YouTube in hopes of inspiring others to enjoy this wonderful activity.

About five years ago I made and posted a video, got some fews and a few comments over the years, 110 thumbs up, 9 thumbs down . . . and then . . . an email last fall from YouTube telling me that my video violated their Community Guidelines.

What?! I followed their appeal process, and received the following email:
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So . . . my question to the Barefoot Runners Society community: should I just shrug this off and continue on my merry barefoot way? Or should I make a big deal out of it, somehow, to draw attention to the fact that not only is being barefoot not illegal (a battle many of you might relate to), running barefoot is not "immoral" either.

What think ye, wise Barefoot Runners out there? (Here's a screen shot from near the end of the video--I happen to subscribe to the "pratfalls are funny" school of comedy--which shows their "age restriction" message.)

Thanks for any hard-won barefoot wisdom you can aim my way.

Cheers,

Thea

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Bare feet are not appropriate for a general audience? [shock]

I don't know that you can do anything about that video. Can you possibly discover what they were offended by and put up another video skirting around that? But if it's bare feet they oppose, not only are they silly, but they are a lost cause.

I wish I'd seen the video. Maybe I could figure out what bee got in their . . . bonnet.

I've heard of Vimeo. I don't know much about them, or what it takes to put a video on there. Maybe you could post there or somewhere else (if there is a somewhere else).
 
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Thea, you're not the only one. Several members in the Society for Barefoot Living group have reported the same thing with videos they've posted of barefoot activities (walking, hiking, etc.). It appears that YouTube has suddenly decided that many of these videos (some of which have been available for a long time) should be "Age-Restricted". What a bunch of nonsense. :mad:
 
I remember seeing your video, and there is nothing wrong with it.

The ignorant, self-appointed moral police think that naked feet are a sex organ, so it must be porno, and they are afraid that barefoot videos will attract foot fetish freaks.

I say, if you have the energy, then yes, fight it. See if the Society for Barefoot Living has made any gains in this area first, then see if they will partner with you.

Now, can you imagine if they start censoring all of Ken Bob's videos? Or have they already started to go down the list?
 
Bare feet are not appropriate for a general audience? [shock]

I don't know that you can do anything about that video. Can you possibly discover what they were offended by and put up another video skirting around that? But if it's bare feet they oppose, not only are they silly, but they are a lost cause.

I wish I'd seen the video. Maybe I could figure out what bee got in their . . . bonnet.

I've heard of Vimeo. I don't know much about them, or what it takes to put a video on there. Maybe you could post there or somewhere else (if there is a somewhere else).

Thanks for taking the time to reply . . . I appreciate your Vimeo suggestion for future videos. Cheers, Thea
 
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Thea, you're not the only one. Several members in the Society for Barefoot Living group have reported the same thing with videos they've posted of barefoot activities (walking, hiking, etc.). It appears that YouTube has suddenly decided that many of these videos (some of which have been available for a long time) should be "Age-Restricted". What a bunch of nonsense. :mad:

BFSailor-- Thanks for the reply; it was good to hear (well, not good that it was happening to others too, but it made me feel less "singled-out") that others have reported this as well. "BUNCH OF NONSENSE" for sure! Cheers, Thea
 
I remember seeing your video, and there is nothing wrong with it.

The ignorant, self-appointed moral police think that naked feet are a sex organ, so it must be porno, and they are afraid that barefoot videos will attract foot fetish freaks.

I say, if you have the energy, then yes, fight it. See if the Society for Barefoot Living has made any gains in this area first, then see if they will partner with you.

Now, can you imagine if they start censoring all of Ken Bob's videos? Or have they already started to go down the list?

Ha--lots to cheer me up in your reply, so thanks :) "Naked feet [as] sex organ" . . . all I can say is, yikes, I guess I've been living under a rock all my life. And then the idea of "censoring" all of BF KenBob's work . . . ha . . . good luck, YouTube moral police :) Happy Barefoot Trails . . . at this point, I think I'd rather just go for a run than spend any more mental energy or time bucking the YouTube leviathan :) Thea
 
So a video of me walking barefoot on a beach while on holidays should and would be age restricted??? Wow someone had better get busy and start labeling millions of videos on Utube.


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Yes, they are going to be quite busy! HA! :hilarious::barefoot:
 
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