For CBS video clips, YouTube has placed the comments section on a page separate from the video and is also filtering comments left by viewers. The changes took place shortly after YouTube reached a content distribution deal with CBS, which likely required the changes, according to the New York Times. Advertisers have long worried about the type of content that appears alongside theirs on the video-sharing site, and the move to filter and censor user comments is likely to appease current and potential advertisers. For most videos on YouTube, the comments section is immediately below and comments frequently include salty language and sometimes derrogatory comments about the video.

"We just want to make sure the front page is a little bit cleaner," said Quincy Smith, president of CBS Interactive, adding that comments containing certain profanities are caught by an automatic filter, while the remaining comments are then vetted by someone who works at CBS or YouTube and moved to the separate page. "We thought it was a better user experience, and it gives us a second to weed out the completely unuseful comments."

Yet, for many YouTube users, the ability to leave uncensored comments is part of the YouTube experience. Smith acknowledges that complaints about the practice are being heard at CBS and are being considered. "We’ve got to encourage more feedback," he said. "I don’t want to mess with the YouTube experience."