Countless fan accounts are dedicated to actors, singers, celebrities, and inspirational personalities, with a large following on YouTube. These accounts celebrate their idols by creating content related to them and engaging with the original personalities through comments and live streams. However, a fine distinction exists between genuine fan accounts and those that impersonate the original personalities to steal views and monetization from them. These channels often mimic the original personalities’ looks, styles, and names and attempt to mislead viewers into believing they are the real ones behind the channel. Such impersonating channels rob the original creators of the revenue they have worked so hard to generate and harm their brand image.
In response to this issue, YouTube has rolled out its next policy update to crack down on these impersonating fan accounts. According to the company’s community post, the new policy will require any channel that is a fan account of an original artist or creator to clarify in their name and description that they do not represent the original artist or creator they are impersonating. Moreover, any channels that trick users into thinking they are the actual artist or creator by using tricks such as inserting spaces or swapping out letters in their names will also be banned from the platform.
The new impersonation policy will come into effect on August 21, 2023. In addition to the new rules, YouTube is reshaping its policy on profanity in videos. Previously, the company had strict policies on profanity, making it hard for many creators to monetize their videos. For example, if a video were over seven seconds long and used any form of swearing in the first seven seconds or throughout the video, it would not be allowed to run ads, severely limiting a creator’s monthly earnings. YouTube eventually loosened the rules, and now videos with moderate profanity will be eligible to run ads. In contrast, videos with more challenging cuss words will only be eligible to run limited ads.
YouTube has been actively encouraging smaller creators to monetize their content, and this latest move is another step in the company’s efforts to promote creator growth on its platform. The platform also recently rolled out an ad revenue-sharing program for short-form videos known as “Shorts.”
While these changes are positive, it is vital for any creator looking to monetize their YouTube videos to continue growing their audience and meet the required benchmarks to qualify for ad revenue share. Check out the official YouTube guide for more information on the requirements to monetize your YouTube videos.
