The Evolution of YouTube’s Content Policies: What Creators Need to Know

YouTube is a source of income for millions of people all around the world. There are those people who make millions out of it, those who make a living out of it, and there are those who use it as a side income. Either way, all of them are tied to the platform’s content policies. During the years these policies have changed, and if you’re serious about being a content creator you need to be in touch with all of the recent updates. That’s why we’re going to talk about the evolution of these policies and what creators need to know today.

The Policies & Guidelines and Why They’re Here

 

Above everything else, YouTube is a community. It is a society of like-minded people who strive for the same goal. For billions all over the world, this platform is the first choice for watching, sharing, and creating content. Policies and guidelines exist so that all the people who use YouTube would be able to work together on making it what it is and putting in the effort to make YT even better.

The bottom line is that everyone needs to feel safe and protected while operating on YouTube. Creators are those in the first line of defense and it is vital to have their effort put forth in maintaining policies and guidelines. If you’re a creator it is vital for you to know what is allowed and what’s not on the platform and to abide by the rules set by YouTube. So, if you’re serious about being a creator, making content, growing your channel, and promoting it via tools such as Air Media-Tech you need to get familiar with the guidelines that YouTube installed to protect both the creators, watchers, and the platform itself.

YouTube and Top Community Guidelines

YouTube is the biggest video-sharing/watching platform in the world. Nothing comes close to it. It has the ability to make each person with a grain of creativity into a rich person. The opportunities that this platform provides are unparalleled in the digital world. But, as we said, these opportunities are only available to you if you follow the platform’s rules. Below, we’re going to talk about those that come with top priority.

Spam and Misleading Content

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YouTube is a global community above all else. To make it work one needs to have trust in the platform and creators need to be able to trust each other. It’s that simple – YT is based on mutual trust. So, you’re not advised to create deceptive content. No scams, misdirection, fraud, or spam is allowed on YouTube. Of course, you can launch it, but it will be quickly discovered and punished accordingly. You also should be aware of not impersonating someone, the platform’s strict link policy, playlist guidelines, and any other additional policies that the platform has. Moving on from these points we have sensitive content policies.

Sensitive Content

While YouTube is a platform open to everyone and everyone we all need to be aware that not all content is made for everyone nor can anyone stomach whatever you serve them. YT is all about protecting not only creators and viewers but children in general from sensitive content. So, once you decide to be a creator on this platform you need to be aware that the rules revolving around children, age, self-harm, sex, and nudity are strict. Safety is paramount. You need to learn what goes on and what goes off before you start making your videos. YT is very detailed about its policies tied to nudity and sexual content, child safety, suicide, self-harm, and vulgar expressions.

Danger and Violence

Today, when we live in a global society and there are touchy subjects out there it is easy to, not be, but sound dangerous and promote violence even intentionally. This especially goes if you want to touch on politics and social subjects. So, if you want to become a commentator on these subjects you need to be wary of the following: hate speech, predatory behavior, maliciousness, graphic violence, and other dangerous and harmful behavior. All of these subjects are covered by YouTube policies, and if you want to operate in the sensitive sphere of YT you need to learn them thoroughly, or in any other case avoid touching these subjects and be safe that way.

Market Regulations

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Above all else, one could argue that YouTube is an amazing promotional medium. Many YouTubers use it to promote their goods and services. While YT is open to this type of content you need to follow their strict guidelines in this domain too. There are goods that are not allowed to be marketed or sold on YouTube. While policies in this domain are quite detailed, in simple words, you’re not allowed to have free will with firearms and many illegal goods.

Misinformation

This is sad to state but we do live in the age of misinformation. Thanks to the widespread use of the internet and platforms such as YT, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, information has become as widely accessible as ever before. The only downside to it all is the fact that misinformation is bred as a virus and spread as wildfire. When you’re a YouTube creator it is paramount that you take good care of information you’re about to launch in your videos. Deceptive content can cause harm both directly and indirectly. So, when your channel starts getting traction you need to be wary of info, data, promotion, and advertisements you will run. This is especially important if you want to deal with touchy subjects. In simple words, don’t be like Donald Trump, and you should be fine.

Bottom Line

YouTube is a world without borders but not without laws. While everyone is connected with their joint desire to create, share, and watch content it is not a world of free will to its fullest. YouTube has set more than a few policies and guidelines that keep their community in check. If you’re new to the platform and want to engage in it, you’re better off learning about them first. As in any other sphere, it’s better to be safe than sorry.