YouTube is arguably one of the most widely used video streaming app in the world. You can watch tutorials to learn new things, funny videos, and even get your news. Launched in 2005, the video-based content site has millions of channels you can subscribe to. But, as with all social media these days, you may take issue with one that you come across.
If you’ve ever found an inappropriate channel that violated YouTube’s guidelines, you probably wondered how you could help get the inappropriate content off the site. In this article, we’ll review the details of Channel reporting so that you can let YouTube know something is amiss.
YouTube Guidelines
YouTube’s content is provided and uploaded by registered users. Anyone can register and it is because of this, the company takes a great deal of care to ensure Channel owners only publish what the company deems as ‘appropriate content.’ Before you report any and every channel that you don’t like, consider YouTube’s Content Guidelines first. We’ve taken them directly from YouTube so they are current as of January 2021. Of course, they always change so check here for updates.
Some of these guidelines are in place to comply with local laws and regulations while other guidelines are of the company’s own preference.
To keep things in line and prevent chaos, YouTube has had a strict content policy the guidelines have evolved over the years and the current version prohibits the following:
Content that is deceptive or spam
- Fake Engagement
- Impersonation
- Links in Content (Links that take you to pornographic or scam websites)
- Spam, Deceptive Practices, and scams
Content that is considered ‘Sensitive’
Content that is ‘Dangerous’
- Harassment, Harmful Content
- Hate Speech
- Violent content (including violent organizations)
- COVID-19 Misinformation (thanks to 2020)
The sell and promotion of goods
The guidelines are somewhat vaguely defined, to give YouTube some wiggle room when deciding what content to allow on the platform. If you need more information about one specific guideline, we’ve included YouTube’s hyperlinks to get you the most accurate information.
How to Report a Channel on YouTube
If you’ve spotted a channel that regularly uploads inappropriate content, you should report it and help YouTube remain a safe place for all its users. Reporting a channel might have unpleasant repercussions for the owner of the offending channel, but the safety and integrity of the community should come first.
Reporting a channel is only possible through your computer. On the mobile app, reporting a video is your only solution, but more on that later.
Here is how you can report a channel that’s crossed the line – the steps are identical for Windows, Mac, and Linux computers.
- Launch the web browser on your computer and go to youtube.com.
- Make sure you are signed in.
- Browse for the channel you wish to report to YouTube.
- Once you find it in the search results, click on it. You can also just click on the channel name under one of its videos.
- Click on ‘About’ in the channel heading.
- Click the grey “Report” icon, shaped like a flag. It is located below the channel stats.
When the menu expands, click on the “Report user” option on the bottom of the menu.
- In the “Report user” window, select the main reason why you’re reporting that particular channel.
- Click the “Next” button.
- Assuming you’ve picked a reportable offense, you will see a form where you can add more details. Fill out the form.
- Once done, click the “Submit” button.
Once you submit your report, a member of YouTube’s staff will check the channel and give it a thorough review. In case the violations are serious enough, or if that particular channel owner has made similar transgressions in the past, they might lose the channel. Want to find a video using more specific search criteria? Check out our article on using YouTube search filters.
Reporting a Channel on the Mobile App
Because of the nature of YouTube, a lot of users tend to use the Mobile App. It’s just as easy to report a Channel on YouTube’s App.
- Open the app and make sure that you’re logged in.
- Navigate to the Channel you’d like to report.
- Tap on the three vertical dots in the upper right-hand corner
- Tap ‘Report User.’
- Follow the prompts just as we did above.
How to Report a Video
You can also decide to report a particular video instead of the channel that put it up. Reporting videos is simple and you can do it both on a computer and on your smartphone or tablet.
Computer
Follow these steps to report a video using your computer.
- Launch the browser and navigate to YouTube’s home page.
- Find the video you want to report and click on it.
- When the video starts playing, click the “Three Dots” beneath the player.
- Select the “Report” option from the drop-down menu.
- The “Report video” window will appear. Choose the reason why you’re reporting the video.
- Click the “Next” button.
- Provide additional information as prompted.
- Click the “Report” button.
Mobile App
While you can’t report a channel, you can report a video through YT’s mobile app. The procedure is identical for both iOS and Android devices. Here’s how it’s done.
- Launch the YouTube app from your device’s Home screen.
- Browse for the video you want to report.
- Tap the video.
- When it starts playing, tap it once more to toggle the menu.
- Tap on the three dots icon and choose the “Report” option. It should be on top or near the top of the menu.
- Pick the reason why you’re reporting the video.
- Provide additional info when prompted.
- Tap “Report”.
Stay Vigilant
YouTube is efficient about filtering out inappropriate materials, but it’s up to the users to let YouTube know when there is a problem they missed.. Stay safe and help keep the web’s biggest tube site safe for others.
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