YouTube has moved to stem growing concern that its website glamourises violence by banning videos featuring weapons.
The Google-owned video-sharing site has decided to introduce the ban for the UK only amid widespread unease about the increase in knife crime in the country.
It says that any video which is clearly "showing weapons with the aim of intimidation" will be taken down from the site.
Not all such videos will be removed immediately, however, as the ban will not be retrospective and any offending footage already on the site will need to be reported again.
"We recognise that there has been particular concern over videos in the UK that involve showing weapons with the aim of intimidation, and this is one of the areas we are addressing," a YouTube spokesperson said.
The move has been welcomed by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith as a "real step forward" and she encouraged other sites to take similar action.
"I would like to see other internet service providers follow suit to reinforce our message that violence will not be tolerated either on the internet or in the real world," she said.
Today's announcement follows a cross-party report by MPs this summer which warned that the internet had a "dark side" from which users need to be protected against.
The Google-owned video-sharing site has decided to introduce the ban for the UK only amid widespread unease about the increase in knife crime in the country.
It says that any video which is clearly "showing weapons with the aim of intimidation" will be taken down from the site.
Not all such videos will be removed immediately, however, as the ban will not be retrospective and any offending footage already on the site will need to be reported again.
"We recognise that there has been particular concern over videos in the UK that involve showing weapons with the aim of intimidation, and this is one of the areas we are addressing," a YouTube spokesperson said.
The move has been welcomed by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith as a "real step forward" and she encouraged other sites to take similar action.
"I would like to see other internet service providers follow suit to reinforce our message that violence will not be tolerated either on the internet or in the real world," she said.
Today's announcement follows a cross-party report by MPs this summer which warned that the internet had a "dark side" from which users need to be protected against.
