New Preventative Measures Set to Curb Rising Scams and Spam on YouTube Shorts
As a reaction to the growing occurrence of fraudulent activities and unsolicited content on its brief video feature, YouTube Shorts, the prominent video streaming platform is preparing to introduce a sequence of anticipatory steps to guarantee the security and credibility of its service. Commencing on August 31st, YouTube will progressively deactivate interactive hyperlinks within Shorts’ comments, explanations, and vertical live feeds. This deliberate action is intended to provide users with a safeguard against potential risks like malware, phishing schemes, and other detrimental content linked to scams.
Safer Linking Method on the Horizon for Creators
Recognizing the importance of enabling creators to connect with their audience and promote their content, YouTube is actively developing a new, secure method for creators to link their Shorts viewers to other YouTube content. This innovative solution is slated to be rolled out by the end of September, providing creators with a safer alternative to guide their audience while mitigating the risks associated with malicious links.
Clickable Social Media Icons Removed, Yet New Opportunities for Creators Emerge
As part of its comprehensive strategy, YouTube will be removing clickable social media icons from channel banners on desktop. While this adjustment may impact creators who rely on these icons to diversify their content and drive revenue through links to other platforms, YouTube is introducing an exciting avenue for creators to prominently display clickable links to websites, social profiles, merchandise stores, and other relevant destinations. This new feature, designed to comply with YouTube’s Community Guidelines, will start rolling out on August 23rd across both mobile and desktop platforms, positioning the clickable links near the familiar “subscribe” button.
Balancing Safety and Creator Needs
“We don’t have any plans to make any other links unclickable,” YouTube assured in a press release. Recognizing the vital role that links play in allowing creators to share information and endorse products or brands, the platform remains committed to devising secure alternatives that empower creators to include important links in their content while safeguarding users from potential threats.
Positive Impact of Current Measures on Scammers and Spammers
YouTube’s continuous endeavors to tackle fraudulent and deceitful activities are yielding encouraging outcomes. The platform has disclosed a substantial rise of 35 percent in the elimination of channels engaging in user impersonation during the initial quarter of 2023, contrasting with the corresponding timeframe in the prior year. Furthermore, the “heightened vigilance” function, devised to identify and retain possibly spam-oriented or unsuitable remarks for assessment by content creators, observed a remarkable surge of 200 percent in withheld comments during the inaugural week of June subsequent to recent enhancements.
A History of Addressing Concerns
The move comes after high-profile creators like Marques Brownlee, Linus Tech Tips, and Jacksepticeye voiced their concerns regarding the prevalence of spam on the platform. In June of the previous year, YouTube responded to these concerns by introducing new policies aimed at curbing spam, including the removal of the ability for creators to hide their subscriber count and expanded access to a more rigorous moderation system, which had been undergoing testing since December 2021.
Navigating the Challenges Ahead
While YouTube’s decision to temporarily disable clickable links may pose challenges, particularly for smaller creators dependent on diversified revenue streams, the platform’s commitment to creating a safer and more secure environment for both creators and users remains resolute. As YouTube continues to refine its approach, the upcoming changes demonstrate its determination to strike a balance between providing valuable features for creators and upholding the highest standards of user safety.
