YouTube Shorts Implements New Policy to Crack Down on Spam

YouTube Shorts is making a change to address the growing issues around spam on the short-form video platform. The company says that starting on August 31st, links that appear in the Shorts comments section, Shorts descriptions, and the vertical live feed will no longer be clickable. This new policy is meant to be a preventative measure that makes it harder for scammers and spammers to mislead and scam users via links.

The measure is fairly extreme, given YouTube already has existing systems and policies designed to detect and remove spammy links. However, instead of relying on this technology, it’s disabling these links altogether. The changes will roll out gradually, which means not all links will be disabled as of August 31st.

YouTube acknowledges that the spammy links circulating on the platform could drive users to dangerous content, such as malware, phishing, or other scams. In order to protect its users, YouTube is taking decisive action by rendering these links non-clickable.

In addition to disabling links in Shorts, YouTube is also removing clickable social media icons from all desktop channel banners. These icons have been exploited by scammers to deceive users with misleading links.

However, YouTube recognizes that legitimate creators have a genuine need for links, particularly to monetize their content through product recommendations and brand partnerships. To accommodate this, YouTube will introduce new ways for creators to safely include links in their content.

Clickable Links on Creators’ Channel Profiles

Starting on August 23, YouTube viewers on mobile and desktop will begin to see “prominent” clickable links on creators’ channel profiles near their ‘Subscribe’ button. Creators can utilize this space to link out to websites, their other social profiles, merchandise sites, and other links that adhere to YouTube’s Community Guidelines.

Shorts to Other YouTube Content

In addition, Shorts creators who wish to direct viewers to their long-form videos will still be able to do so in the near future. By the end of September, YouTube plans to introduce a new and safer way for these creators to drive viewers from Shorts to their other YouTube content. This will offer a seamless transition for users interested in exploring more from their favorite creators.

This new policy follows YouTube’s continuous efforts to combat spam across its platform. The company has implemented various measures, including improved systems that detect impersonation channels, resulting in a significant increase in removals and terminations of such accounts.

Furthermore, YouTube has enhanced its comment reviewing feature, which holds potentially spammy and inappropriate comments for optional review by creators. This improvement has led to a substantial rise in the number of comments held for review, ensuring a safer and more engaging user experience.

With these changes, YouTube aims to create a spam-free environment for its users, while still providing legitimate creators with the necessary tools to connect with their audience and monetize their content responsibly.