YouTube claims this move will protect genuine fan channels passionate about celebrating their favorite creators. (Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash)
YouTube is preparing to take strict action against account impersonation on the platform by introducing a new fan channel policy.
YouTube is preparing to take strict action against account impersonation on the platform by introducing a new fan channel policy.
According to a YouTube blog post, users looking to create or already have fan channels should make sure they “make it clear” by choosing a channel name or handle that suggests their channel is not the original creator, artist, or entity.
The goal is to make it clear to viewers that these fan channels are not representative of the original creator.
In the same blog post, YouTube notes that these changes will take effect from August 21, 2023.
Citing examples, YouTube said that anyone claiming to be a creator’s “fan account” but actually impersonating them and re-uploading their content will be banned.
In addition, accounts with “the same name and avatar or banner as another channel, the only difference being a space in the name or a zero replacing the letter O” would also not be allowed.
YouTube claims the move will protect genuine fan channels passionate about celebrating their favorite creators, as well as help creators by ensuring their names aren’t used for “malicious purposes.” This also helps fans identify the original channel and avoid being misled into believing a mimic channel is the original.
Impersonation is a major problem for both creators and the company. Creators often lose views and revenue by posing as channels that steal content and upload it as their own. This step will likely have a significant impact on this issue.
