Hello world! In case you missed it, YouTube has update it’s terms of service and you should know how it affects you.
If you visit YouTube today, you’ll see a pop-up window alerting you the platform’s updated Terms of Service. It tells you that “the new terms do not change the way YouTube treats your info” and isn’t changing “how it uses creators’ content” but it is clarifying a few of its policies.
What are these terms and how do they concern you?
The terms of service now state the specific age requirement each specific country. For example, in the US, you must be at least 13 years old to use the service, otherwise, it’s YouTube Kids for you. Previously, YouTube’s age requirement was buried toward the bottom of its terms, which said kids under 13, “there are lots of other great web sites for you. Talk to your parents about what sites are appropriate for you.”
Something else that’s new in the terms is YouTube will no longer have the right to use your comments forever. There is also more information about how to remove content and a description of why you might need to remove content.
Here’s another one: “YouTube is under no obligation to host or serve content,” so reads the new terms of service policy. It’s another way of saying that just because YouTube is an open platform, doesn’t mean it is required to keep videos up.
YouTube has faced criticism from creators over its video removal process. Some argue that YouTube could do more to take down videos that flouts the company’s rules but don’t outright violate them; others argue that it shouldn’t control what remains up and what doesn’t.
One of the most controversial clauses that bother creators since YouTube began alerting people to the upcoming changes has to do with termination. It says “YouTube may terminate your access, or your Google account’s access to all or part of the service if YouTube believes, in its sole discretion, that provision of the service to you is no longer commercially viable.”
Some creators interprets this to mean YouTube can simply terminate channels and accounts if they’re not earning revenue. This is not good news for small content creators.
The number one video content platform says it will be better about giving notice when it “terminates its Agreement with bad actors”, and it has added instructions for “how to appeal takedowns as well as terminations.”
With this updated terms of service, content creators and digital experts say that these almost “stringent measures” are signs that “the end of YouTube is near”. What do you think? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section.
