Starting on 25th February 2019, the video platform is introducing a new, simplified ‘three strikes’ policy for Community Guidelines violations.
Many of you have had questions about what’s happened with your content, why you “got dinged” or similar queries about strikes – and we’ll keep providing assistance to those who are affected – but this clearer, simpler and more transparent approach to the enforcement of the rules is welcomed by all of us here. No one (usually) wants to break the rules – so having a better understanding of what is expected of you will help that.
To ensure it’s clear to content creators where they’ve messed up, starting today, the first time you post something that breaches the rules, you’ll receive a one-time warning (but not a penalty). It’s YouTube’s hope that this will encourage you to go ahead and read the Community Guidelines, get back on track and creating your awesome content.
What are YouTube Community Guidelines strikes?
Community Guidelines strikes are issued when our reviewers are notified of a violation of the Community Guidelines. This includes but is not limited to videos that contain nudity or sexual content, violent or graphic content, harmful or dangerous content, hateful content, threats, spam, misleading metadata, or scams.
YouTube’s Community Guidelines strike basics
So, essentially, when you do something wrong. For the most part, this is common sense – if you post something that contains anything from the above non-exhaustive list, you’re going to get a ding (but you probably don’t need me to tell you that, right?). Very occasionally, you may inadvertently have some content that causes a breach – and it’s this type of hiccup that YouTube is looking to address with this change.
What happens if you receive a YouTube strike?
An alert will appear in your channel that explains why the content was flagged. Please don’t ignore this, it’s important. You’ll also get an email from YouTube containing the same information.
This contains guidance not only with what’s gone wrong, but also what you need to do to resolve it.
How long do YouTube strikes last for?
If your content attracts a strike, it will stick around for three months from the date it is issued. During that time, there could be some YouTube features not available to you during that strike period.
What happens when I get multiple strikes?
Within the three months that strikes are held on your account, here’s how additional/multiple
- Strike One: You won’t be able to stream live on YouTube
- Strike Two: A two-week suspension on posting any new content
- Strike Three: You’re out (your YouTube account will be terminated)
What do I do if I get a strike that isn’t right?
First of all, don’t delete the video. That won’t fix anything, and you’ll lose the ability to appeal the strike.
If you’re sure that your content doesn’t violate the rules (don’t appeal stuff that breaks the rules), then what you need to do is –
- Sign in to YouTube from your computer.
- Click your account icon > Creator Studio.
- In the left menu, click Channel > Status and features.
- Go to the Community Guidelines Status section.
- Select Appeal this decision.
