YouTube on Tuesday clarified rules against posting videos of dangerous pranks, as risky "challenges" prompt people to video themselves doing things like biting into laundry soap or driving blindfolded. The company already forbid content inciting dangerous activities likely to result in serious harm. But the clarifications "make it clear that challenges like the Tide pod challenge or the Fire challenge, that can cause death and/or have caused death in some instances, have no place on YouTube," the company said in a blog post.

"We've made it clear that our policies prohibiting harmful and dangerous content also extend to pranks with a perceived danger of serious physical injury," said YouTube, which like other social networks is trying to show that it is better tackling problematic content. It made clear the updated policies ban pranks that trick people into thinking they are in danger, such as fake home invasions or drive-by shootings.

"YouTube is home to many beloved viral challenges and pranks, like Jimmy Kimmel's 'Terrible Christmas Presents' prank or the water bottle flip challenge," said YouTube, owned by Google's parent Alphabet. "That said, we've always had policies to make sure what's funny doesn't cross the line into also being harmful or dangerous."

While playful or goofy challenges or pranks have become raging trends online, with video shared at YouTube or Facebook, some "memes" have put people in jeopardy. A "Fire Challenge" dared people to put flammable liquid on their bodies then ignite it, while a "Tide Pod Challenge" involved people, typically teens, biting or chewing the encapsulated candy-colored laundry detergent.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2019