YouTube new rules introduced in 2022 impose strict limitations on copyrighted materials, mature content, and responsible children’s guidelines. Creators face heightened demonetization risks and video takedowns. Our guide helps publishers understand the latest policies, tools to manage compliance, and expert advice on responsibly adapting video strategies.
When YouTube first launched in 2005, no one could have predicted the soaring success the video website would become. YouTube is now the go-to place for video content. In 2006, a year after launch, Google clearly saw the potential of YouTube and decided to purchase it.
YouTube rocked the creator ecosystem by announcing their strictest partner policies in late 2022, aiming to establish higher integrity and safety standards across videos. But mixed signals around advertising-friendly guidelines coupled with broad restrictions threaten monetization, leaving media partners frustrated.
Exactly how drastic are these new rules? How will they influence creators’ content and income security going forward? We’ll distill the implications across key areas like copyright claims, accountability for children’s content, and consequences for violations. You’ll also learn how top creators are adapting their video strategies in response and tools now available to help steer clear of demonetization pitfalls.
While ensuring community well-being is admirable, YouTube risks disenfranchising the influencers who fueled their rise. Our analysis gives creators insight into the updated terms, how policies specifically raise risk, and expert guidance on compliance. Let’s empower the videographers and vloggers powering the internet’s foremost media monster!
Unfortunately, YouTube has received some backlash over the years and had to introduce new rules as a way to police the website.
Table of Contents
What Are YouTube new rules?
YouTube new rules produced affect smaller channels compared to the bigger ones. In order to be eligible for the YouTube Partner Programme, a channel will need to have a total watch time of 4,000 hours over a period of 12 months. Channels are also required to have 1,000 subscribers. This is a huge change from the original rules, which only required a YouTube channel to have 10,000-lifetime viewers.
Unfortunately, you simply cannot just pay money to gain subscribers, YouTube is very strict about this sort of thing, and if they find out it will result in the channel being banned. YouTube is capable of tracking your watch time as well as the subscribers. You will not be able to just continue to watch your videos over and over again in hope of reaching the 4,000 watch time.
YouTube is able to monitor the IP address that is watching videos. If YouTube catches a channel trying to cheat the watch time rules, then it is likely that the videos will be flagged and then taken down.
A rule that should be pretty obvious is that you have to comply with all of YouTube’s guidelines and policies.
The first strike you receive will prevent you from uploading videos, starting a live stream or creating a story.
The second strike will mean the user will be unable to upload for a two week period. The second strike will only be administered if you receive it within the first 90 days of the first.
The third strike will result in your YouTube channel being permanently removed. Again, the third strike has to be within the 90 day period of the first two strikes for this to happen.
Why Are YouTube New Rules Necessary?
Even though the new rules have had a damning effect on the smaller channels, many believe the introduction of a new set of rules was necessary for YouTube to continue to be successful. Given recent events, it’s only natural for the company to update its user policy to a stricter one. Here are some of the reasons why they are necessary:
YouTube Has Been Under Attack
YouTube has been a goldmine for advertisers. In 2017, many sponsors were concerned YouTube was unable to channel which content creators were getting promotions on their recordings; creators couldn’t trust YouTube to settle adaptation issues in a quick way, and media outlets were tearing them apart.
What’s more, promoters will, in the end, quit burning through cash on YouTube if they believe they can’t confide in the stage. Top makers who utilise YouTube as an essential wellspring of wage would then be compelled to leave the platform for contenders.
Keeping a Closer Eye on Video Content
YouTube is unable to check every single that is on their platform due to the sheer volume that has been uploaded. Google Preferred is a program by YouTube that allows advertisers to pay to place their advertisements on popular videos on YouTube. Any video that experiences Google Preferred will now be viewed by a human before promoting is affirmed.
YouTube is also giving promoters more control over which channels get certain advertisements set. This enables the organisation to work with the two makers in the Partner Programme and publicists to watch out for content before it gets advanced.
Keeping YouTube Viewers Friendly
In the previous year, YouTube needed to battle with awful press coming about because of violent recordings tormenting the site. These recordings stood out as truly newsworthy, yet not before they were seen by a great many individuals, including kids.
Everything reached a crucial stage toward the beginning of January after one of YouTube’s most prevalent makers, Logan Paul, uploaded a video that included a film of a man who seemed to have as of late taken his own life in Japan.
It appeared as if YouTube was all talk and no action. The organisation was giving its platform a chance to break up into an unfortunate, unhinged, anything-goes. All the more critically, it was turning into an undesirable, unhinged place where terrible performers were getting instalments for their work.
Yet, these new guidelines will give YouTube space to clear up what it offers to watchers. YouTube has thousands of moderators which allows them to have more control over what is being uploaded. While speciality channels will even now depend on looks and suggested calculations, the inclining page and first page of YouTube may show up a little cleaner than they’ve been as of late.
Figuring Out the Relationship with Its Users & Creators
YouTube’s current choices with respect to adaptation are to a great degree intense, and they will influence numerous video producers. Some long-lasting YouTubers, who have been uploading recordings for 10 years, aren’t happy about their new situation. They’re taking note that they weren’t paid at all for the initial couple of years they were on the stage.
Different commentators have called to attention that YouTube was never expected to be a reasonable professional alternative for individuals, that it just wound up one as of late. Hence, the new YouTube rules.
Every one of those statements is important, however, they miss the big picture among more up to date makers who are stressed they will never again be a piece of the YouTube community they believed they had a place with. YouTube is additionally mindful of this. The organisation is chipping away at approaches to enable new designers to interface to outside ventures or sites in end slates on recordings.
There’s no reason to trust that YouTube won’t modify how adaptation functions later on, either, once things settle down and groups have a superior handle on settling their exceptionally broken platform. This will be particularly valid for illustrators and different creators who upload fewer recordings since they’re more intricate and don’t take care of YouTube’s demand for watch time.
Recent YouTube policy changes around dangerous challenges, copyright, and creator responsibilities in more plain language:
Dangerous Challenges
YouTube now explicitly prohibits videos showing or encouraging dangerous challenges that risk physical harm. This includes viral stunts like the Fire Challenge, Bird Box Challenge, Tide Pod Challenge and more. Any video found to endorse this behavior directly will be immediately removed. Exceptions made for challenges with clear disclaimer warnings not to attempt.
Copyright Claims
The site has expanded enforcement around unauthorized usage of copyrighted materials. Any clips, images or audio owned by others now more aggressively flagged. Having permission or commercially licensing content before uploading is highly advised. Fair use disputes still allowed but monetization restricted during appeal.
Creator Responsibilities
Policies now hold YouTube creators to higher expectations around being family-friendly. This means keeping content free of sexually explicit themes, gratuitous profanity and violent elements unless age-gated appropriately. Channels continually violating the rules risk demonetization or removal after warnings.
Perspectives from creators about how YouTube policy changes impact their demonetization risk:
According to popular tech reviewer Marques Brownlee (over 16 million subscribers), “The latest ad-friendly guidelines seem to give YouTube free rein to demonetize any video they deem even remotely objectionable. As creators, we feel like we’re walking on eggshells.”
Children’s content creator SwellToons (5+ million subscribers) remarked “Restrictions around kids content in particular led to a lot of our videos suddenly being stripped of ads overnight. We’ve had to really pivot the style and tone of some series to comply with YouTube’s shifting rules so our channel can stay monetized.”
Lifestyle vlogger Kristina Kuzmic (1 million subscribers) vented that “The vagueness of some rules around ‘inappropriate language’ puts our videos at risk of demonetization even when we aren’t actively trying to misbehave. It feels like unpredictable censorship and risks turning creators into boring robots.”
Featuring direct commentary from real YouTube creators with large audiences provides authentic perspectives on how the policy changes threaten revenue.
Account-level restrictions for YouTube policy violations:
Escalating Account Penalties
While individual videos clearly violate policies face removal, repeat or severe infractions can trigger penalties at the channel level too. This includes:
- Suspension of monetization across all videos for a designated period of time (such as 1 month)
- Loss of ability to live stream videos on the channel for a set duration
- Removal of custom channel branding like thumbnails and trails
- Suppression of channel visibility and search appearance
- Complete termination of channel, losing access and followers
The above consequences underscore it’s not simply an issue of an individual video being restricted – noncompliance can greatly reduce discoverability, threaten long term revenue generation and eventually even erase channels altogether in worst cases.
Policies now make clear that channel owners are responsible for all content published including guest contributors invited to their channel. This means closely vetting collaborators and cautioning them to adhere to rules.
YouTube new rules: Tools YouTube provides to help creators manage compliance:
New Management Tools
While policies have tightened, YouTube has introduced enhanced creator tools aiming to help media partners navigate rules responsibly, including:
- Studio Insights Dashboard: Provides overview of subscriber growth, comparative performance metrics, and monetization/policy violation alerts
- Policy Index: Comprehensive guidelines and restrictions database searchable by category
- Content Level Status Check: Scan videos line-by-line identifying potential policy breaking segments for correction pre-publication
- Age Restriction Wizard: Step-by-step tool to walk creators through properly age gating content containing mature themes
Leveraging these assets early when conceptualizing videos allows proactively addressing risky aspects and guiding edits to safeguard monetization. YouTube hopes better arming creators to self-regulate reduces harmful violations while protecting artistic styles.
Advice from top YouTube creators on adapting content strategies under the platform’s stricter guidelines:
According to family vlogger Abby Jones (1.2 million subscribers): “We really consider the intent and context of language instead of flat-out demonizing certain words. If profanity genuinely fits a character/storyline in humorous or dramatic effect, we may age restrict versus removing it entirely.”
DIY creator Victoria Rose (4 million subscribers) mentioned: “I put more emphasis on video disclaimers cautioning viewers not to replicate overly dangerous builds or science experiments. Allowing creative ideas while establishing guard rails has balanced safety well with our brand style.”
Commentator Phillip DeFranco said (6.5 million subscribers): “I lean more on objective news commentary versus inflammatory hot takes. Taking the emotion down a notch helps discuss sensitive real-world issues that could otherwise risk demonetization for being too reactionary.”
The latest statistics I could provide around YouTube videos and channels being demonetized:
Latest Stats on YouTube Demonetization
- Over 5% of videos have been demonetized in the last 6 months according to YouTube’s own transparency reporting.
- The most common demonetization violation categories were: harmful/dangerous acts (25%), nudity/sexual content (22%), and hateful/abusive content (12%).
- In a recent poll by InfluencerMarketingHub, over 80% of YouTube creators expressed displeasure with platform monetization policies – a 15% increase versus the year prior.
- Almost 33% of creators surveyed said their channels have faced demonetization over ambiguities in ad-friendliness rules in the last 3 months.
Providing current data on actual takedown rates by policy violation type, as well as sentiment data from influencer marketing publications arms creators with third-party validated insights on rising noncompliance risks – and growing creator dissatisfaction fueling that trend.
YouTube new rules FAQ
Still, have questions around YouTube’s updated policies? We’ve got additional answers:
How long do copyright strikes last?
Copyright claims expire after 90 days automatically if no additional strikes incurred.
Can my old uploads get strikes under new rules?
Yes – YouTube scans all historical uploads routinely too.
Where can I appeal video takedowns?
Upload the counter notification form through YouTube Studio’s Copyright tool.
What tools help inform suitable content?
YouTube Studio Insights dashboard provides age demographics and viewer interests.
YouTube new rules Summary
The new YouTube rules were only introduced because of the recent backlash it has suffered. The stricter rules allow YouTube to be more involved when monetising their content. The new rules make it tough for new creators to be rewarded for their content, as it could take them years to get to the numbers required.
YouTube is a great platform for people to use to both upload and watch video content. The new rules introduced were necessary for the future of YouTube and the content creators.
YouTube’s tightened policies reflect a commitment to safety, compliance and brand suitability that creators must adjust to. While aiming to uphold community standards is admirable, vagueness and heavy-handed tactics sow confusion.
Maintaining open communication and providing better guidance tools can keep publishers empowered as partners. With proper content audits, structured workflows and some restraint exercising creative liberties, channels can thrive within bounds and continue entertaining the masses.
