Yesterday morning I uploaded a short video to YouTube of my first solo flight in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 . I didn’t edit it because the video is self explanatory, lasts less than 10 minutes and is very similar to many other gaming videos that I upload. A few hours later I received an email from YouTube saying that my channel is no longer able to monetise because it uses someone else’s content without making changes that add significant value. Come again? I’m using someone else’s content? Surely there’s been some mistake?
Human Or Algorithm?
With around a 40million channels on YouTube, I imagine it would be quite a task for humans to trawl through each and every one for issues that contravene YouTube’s numerous policies and I have to assume that an algorithm has somehow mistakenly flagged my channel as stealing other people’s content. This is the only way I can interpret their ever so vague message.
How To Appeal YouTube’s Decision
I can either make a short video appeal within seven days showing why my channel complies with YouTube’s policy guidelines or edit my channel and reapply by September 2nd, which is 30 days after I was demonetised, so I’m currently evaluating which path to take. One also has to bear in mind that YouTube’s channels of communications do change. For example, I’ve watched several videos made by people that were in the same boat and one suggested sending an email to YouTube support creator-support@youtube.com because they had an almost immediate reply reversing the decision in this manner. However, the standard reply I received indicates that it’s a dead end.
Adpocalypse – I’m Not Alone
I’m glad that YouTube isn’t my only source of income, otherwise, I would certainly be crying in my beer. However, there are creators with millions of views per video where exactly the same thing has happened to them, bearing in mind that many of these people have given up their regular jobs to focus on YouTube creation alone. For them, it’s devastating and I’m not for a moment suggesting that I don’t feel affected by this arbitrary decision. I do, yes. But more than anything else, I feel insulted by the implication that I’ve stolen someone else’s content, which is patently untrue.
I’ll update this post when I’ve decided how to proceed.
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Marc,
Good luck with your battle with the Headless Monster Youtube. In the end I know you’ll come out on top.
Robert
Thanks, Robert and I’m hoping they will reinstate my previous good status in September.
Must read fine print, Marc.
It’s pretty obvious you are doing what you shouldn’t.
Maybe it’s an inconvenience but you are in violation with your “promotion”!
Nasty of them to do it…but it’s the LAW and it’s clearly stated.
Don’t do it again or you’ll face a ban as others have.
He videotaped a flight he took/made that a bazillion others do hourly on tube twitch periscope facebook tikiittok whatever., I don’t think he’s done anything near he shouldn’t bud.
Hello Colin
Please show me where I have stolen other people’s videos and I will correct the situation.
Well bud..off you go to Youtube and tell them just that.
You just never know.
Maybe he’ll be judged an innocent man? But it’s time Youtube started doing this, So many plagiarists on Youtube breaking the rules and making up their own! All innocent and flabbergasted of course when the hammer falls.
Hello Colin
Plagiarism is something I avoid like the plague, FYI.
With Google tightening their regulations for YouTube and Facebook breaking laws with illegal distribution of personal data plus all the other media apps, OS’s like Apple, etc., collecting our personal data it’s becoming apparent that we need to find alternatives. I use MeWe these days to replace Facebook and I use YouTube for my ebike and music info, I have been sent messages about licensing in certain cases (mostly with background music ending up with all kinds of licensing comments from YouTube to mask the audio & all kinds of other blocking messages). So far MeWE has served my purposes to exit Facebook. Is there an alternative for YouTube to post our videos without all of this B.S.? I used to post my videos on my Web Site(s) to avoid YouTube. I might have to revisit that again. There’s certainly a need for a discussion. I googled “YouTube alternatives” and got a list of possibilities. Any suggestions from those lists?
There are alternatives, but it’s not quite so simple. Anyway, I’m looking into that and hope to come back with more information later.
Marc, if they are using a plagiarism checker, ask them which one. Many are flawed. They count often used expressions and transitional phrases as content, and these will always flag as copied. 7% duplicate scores are considered NOT plagiarized by professors in universities. Less than 2% is a flag that means that you have no written a very good paper. In cases where they use a plagiarism checker, you need to get a copy of the results so you can examine what is being flagged. Good luck.
Thanks Karena, but I would have more luck talking to my cat.
I’ll be submitting my channel again next week and hope to update this post afterwards with whatever the result may be.