YouTube follows Facebook and Twitter in targeting QAnon

YouTube is currently in the process of expanding its policies regarding hate and harassment, to disallow any content based on "conspiracy theories that have been used to justify real-world violence."

According to Variety, YouTube is framing their recent action as a simple update of their policies that's not specifically targeting anybody or any group of people, but in real life, it appears to be heavily focusing on content created and promoted by people involved in or sympathetic to the QAnon conspiracy movement.

Last week, Facebook completely banned any content related to QAnon on its platforms, and Twitter quickly followed suit.

The QAnon movement has followers worldwide of all races, creeds and backgrounds. It is based on communications put out by an anonymous individual known only as Q, which people believe to bet either someone with inside information from the US government, or even a spiritual figure or extraterrestrial. According to Q, there is a war going on against the "cabal," otherwise known as the "New World Order."

Recently, it has evolved to become vociferously pro-Trump, with claims that Trump is at war with the cabal, specifically with elements involved in child sex trafficking rings.

It should, however, be noted that individual adherents of QAnon often vary greatly in their beliefs.

YouTube made it clear that coverage and objective discussion of QAnon-related news will still be acceptable under their new policy. "As always, context matters," said YouTube in a statement.