YouTube advises that, with fewer people available to review content during this time, more videos will be removed than normal.
As COVID-19 evolves, YouTube is reducing staffing in certain offices. This is expected to cause disruptions, so the company is relying on automated systems to step in and keep the platform “safe.”
“As a result of the new measures we’re taking, we will temporarily start relying more on technology to help with some of the work normally done by reviewers. This means automated systems will start removing some content without human review, so we can continue to act quickly to remove violative content and protect our ecosystem, while we have workplace protections in place.
More videos removed than usual
An increased reliance on automated systems means more videos will be removed than usual. In other words, YouTube is willing to err on the side of caution to ensure violative content does not get published.
YouTube says, for now, video removals may even include content that does not violate its policies. However, strikes will not be issued against creators except in certain circumstances.
“As we do this, users and creators may see increased video removals, including some videos that may not violate policies. We won’t issue strikes on this content except in cases where we have high confidence that it’s violative.”
If content ends up being removed in error, creators will have the ability to appeal YouTube’s decision. Given that YouTube’s appeal process also relies on human reviewers, there will be delays in this area as well.
Restrictions to search results, home page, and recommendations
YouTube says it will be cautious about promoting content that does not go through human reviewers. So any new content that does end up getting published during this time may have reduced visibility.
If you end up seeing a sharp drop in views over the next few weeks, this could be why:
“We’ll also be more cautious about what content gets promoted, including livestreams. In some cases, unreviewed content may not be available via search, on the homepage, or in recommendations.”
One bit of good news, though, is there will be no changes to monetization. This includes continuing to allow monetization of cononavirus-related content.
See: YouTube Allows Creators to Monetize Content About Coronavirus
No timeframe was given for when things may return to business as usual.
Source: YouTube Creator Blog
