by Google
Social networks and the Internet in general have long been a place where people could share absolutely anything without any restrictions. The consequence of this endless freedom on the Internet was the spread of hate, hoaxes, and the emergence of various ideological groups. In order to protect users, many social networks have created rules that limit or prohibit various hate speech and much more that could threaten the safety of users, and YouTube is no exception. In its rules, YouTube describes what is allowed and prohibited for both ordinary users and creators. In the previous article, we discussed the rules called Community Guidelines, and today we will look at what the consequences of violating them are from the creator's perspective.
WHAT ARE COMMUNITY GUIDELINES?
Community Guidelines are a set of rules that determine what is and is not allowed on YouTube, and apply to all types of content on the platform, including videos, comments, links, and thumbnails. YouTube's policies can be divided into four broad categories:
· Spam and deceptive practices
· Violent or dangerous content
But what happens if these rules are violated?
NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE RULES WILL BE FOLLOWED
Although 98% of creators will never violate the Community Guidelines, these rules are necessary to keep YouTube a safe place for its users and to preserve freedom of expression on the platform.
To maintain this balance, YouTube operates a system of sanctions for rule violations. All sanctions are accompanied by an email that gives creators the opportunity to review and understand how they violated the rules before they face more serious consequences. The sanction system has proven itself on YouTube, as statistics show that up to 94% of creators who received their first penalty never received another. You can check your penalties in YouTube Studio.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I VIOLATE THE COMMUNITY GUIDELINES?
In principle, it's very simple. Your YouTube content must comply with the Community Guidelines. If you create content that violates these guidelines, your channel will be penalized.
A) YOU WILL GET A WARNING FIRST
Mistakes happen, and YouTube understands that. That's why if it's your first time violating the Community Guidelines, you won't automatically get your first penalty. Instead, you'll usually get a warning, which includes information about how your video violated YouTube's guidelines.
Remember, though, that you only get a warning once, and it will stay on your channel. If you continue to violate the Community Guidelines with your content, you will be penalized. Sometimes, even a single serious violation can result in your channel being terminated without warning.
B) THE FIRST SANCTION FOLLOWS
If you receive a sanction, YouTube will notify you via email, a notification on your smartphone, computer, and you will also see it in your channel settings. Along with the notification, you will receive information about:
· What content was removed.
· Which rules were violated.
· What consequences this will have for your channel.
· What you can do next.
With the first sanction, there are also restrictions on your channel. This means that for one week you will not be able to:
1. Upload videos, live streams, or stories.
2. Create your own thumbnails or posts for the community.
3. Create, edit, or add collaborators to lists.
4. Add or remove lists from the watch page using the Save button.
5. Show a trailer during premieres.
6. Redirect viewers from live to premiere or from premiere to live.
After a week, all restrictions will be lifted and you will be able to return to your normal YouTube experience, but the penalty will remain on your channel for 3 months.
Violations of the Community Guidelines are taken quite seriously. Therefore, you should not rely on the fact that nothing terrible will happen with the first penalty. As we mentioned above, In the case of a serious violation of the rules, YouTube can delete your channel without warning. So if you receive a penalty for violating the Community Guidelines, take your time, study what was problematic in your video, and avoid making videos that violate the rules.
C) ANOTHER RULE VIOLATION WILL RISK A SECOND SANCTION
If you receive another penalty within the next 3 months of receiving your first penalty, YouTube will not allow you to publish any content for two weeks. So you cannot upload a video, YouTube Story, YouTube Shorts, or a post to the community, simply nothing. If there are no complications or problems, all restrictions will be lifted after two weeks and your channel will be fully functional. In this case too, the sanction will remain marked on your channel for 3 months.
D) THE THIRD SANCTION MEANS THE END ON YOUTUBE
Three sanctions within three months mean the complete removal of your YouTube channel and a ban on creation for you as a person. This means that even if you later create a new channel and YouTube identifies you, the new channel will also be canceled.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I GET A SANCTION?
Now you probably understand what we meant when we said that YouTube evaluates violations of the Community Guidelines quite strictly. Therefore, if you are a beginner creator, but even if you have been creating for some time, study the YouTube rules. This will help you avoid sanctions and better understand how the platform works. And if you are familiar with the YouTube rules and are sure that you received a sanction unjustly, you can appeal.
Now that you know the serious consequences of violating YouTube's rules, we hope you will carefully review the Community Guidelines, avoid penalties, create valuable content for your community, and build a successful YouTube channel. We wish you much success with your YouTube channel, and please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
