YouTube Shorts Implements Changes to Combat Spam and Scams
YouTube Shorts is taking action to address the growing problem of spam on its short-form video platform. Starting August 31st, clickable links will no longer be allowed in the Shorts comments section, Shorts descriptions, and the vertical live feed. This measure aims to make it more difficult for scammers and spammers to deceive users with misleading links.
Increased Security Measures
The decision was made because these spammy links could lead users to dangerous content such as malware, phishing scams, or other fraudulent activities.
This new policy may seem extreme since YouTube already has systems and policies to detect and remove spammy links. However, rather than relying solely on this technology, YouTube is disabling these links altogether. The changes will be rolled out gradually, so not all links will be disabled by August 31st.
In addition, clickable social media icons will also be removed from all desktop channel banners due to their potential misuse in scamming users with misleading links.
Accommodating Legitimate Creators
However, legitimate creators sometimes need to include links to monetize their content and recommend products and brands to their followers. To accommodate this, YouTube plans to introduce new ways to safely incorporate links into their content.
Prominent Clickable Links on Creators’ Channel Profiles
Starting August 23rd, both mobile and desktop viewers will see “prominent” clickable links near the ‘Subscribe’ button on creators’ channel profiles. Creators can use this space to link out to websites, other social profiles, merchandise sites, and other links that comply with YouTube’s Community Guidelines.
Safely Pointing Viewers to Long-Form Videos
Shorts creators who like to direct viewers to their long-form videos using links will still be able to do so in the near future. By the end of September, YouTube plans to introduce a new and safer method for these creators to guide viewers from Shorts to their other YouTube content.
Continued Efforts to Combat Spam
These changes are part of YouTube’s efforts to reduce spam on its platform. The platform has already implemented measures to detect impersonation channels, resulting in over 35% more removals and terminations related to impersonation from Q1 2022 to Q1 2023.
YouTube has also enhanced its feature that identifies potentially spammy and inappropriate comments and holds them for optional review by creators. This improvement led to a 200% increase in held comments during the first week of June compared to the first week of May.
