diff --git a/base-config.yaml b/base-config.yaml
index 825980c..6ebe0f1 100644
--- a/base-config.yaml
+++ b/base-config.yaml
@@ -74,6 +74,11 @@ join_notification_message: |
 # this bot, bot admins and bot moderators are immune to censorship.
 censor: false
 
+# if censoring content, what minimum Power Level is required to not be censored?
+# this allows easy permission of trusted users in a room to post images or files on demand.
+# rooms usually default to 0 power level for normal users.
+uncensor_pl: 1
+
 # whether to redact file and image uploads. this will apply to all rooms defined
 # in the censor variable (either boolean or a list of room IDs).
 censor_files: true
diff --git a/community/bot.py b/community/bot.py
index 7fa130d..4ee5e55 100644
--- a/community/bot.py
+++ b/community/bot.py
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ class Config(BaseProxyConfig):
         helper.copy_dict("greeting_rooms")
         helper.copy_dict("greetings")
         helper.copy("censor")
+        helper.copy("uncensor_pl")
         helper.copy("censor_wordlist")
         helper.copy("censor_files")
         helper.copy("banlists")
@@ -124,7 +125,7 @@ class CommunityBot(Plugin):
         return report
 
     def flag_message(self, msg):
-        if msg.content.msgtype in [MessageType.FILE, MessageType.IMAGE]:
+        if msg.content.msgtype in [MessageType.FILE, MessageType.IMAGE, MessageType.VIDEO]:
                 return self.config['censor_files']
 
         for w in self.config['censor_wordlist']:
@@ -294,10 +295,14 @@ class CommunityBot(Plugin):
 
     @event.on(EventType.ROOM_MESSAGE)
     async def update_message_timestamp(self, evt: MessageEvent) -> None:
+        power_levels = await self.client.get_state_event(evt.room_id, EventType.ROOM_POWER_LEVELS)
+        user_level = power_levels.get_user_level(evt.sender)
+        self.log.debug(f"DEBUGDEBUG user {evt.sender} has power level {user_level}")
         if self.flag_message(evt):
             # do we need to redact?
             if evt.sender not in self.config['admins'] and \
                     evt.sender not in self.config['moderators'] and \
+                    user_level < self.config['uncensor_pl'] and \
                     evt.sender != self.client.mxid and \
                     self.censor_room(evt):
                 try:
diff --git a/maubot.yaml b/maubot.yaml
index 4ea4422..942dc04 100644
--- a/maubot.yaml
+++ b/maubot.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 maubot: 0.1.0
 id: org.jobmachine.communitybot
-version: 0.1.11
+version: 0.1.12
 license: MIT
 modules:
   - community