YouTube is cracking down on fan channels, updates impersonation policy

Fan Channels that have a little too much in common with other accounts are going to be subject to YouTube’s updated policies, which could mean seeing your Channel completely closed if you’re not careful.

With an endless number of channels active on YouTube, success can be hard to come by. Larger channels that have been around for years and have accrued thousands – if not millions – of subscribers, can often be the subject of other users’ fan channels. These fan channels are meant to serve up content based on the original creator’s content, though there’s a fine line between adoration and complete impersonation.

To prevent that, YouTube is updating its policies on impersonation and how it pertains to fan channels that skirt that line a little too closely. The new policy makes it pretty clear that fan channels are allowed, though it needs to be apparent that it is a fan account and not a direct rip-off of the original thing.

According to the updated policy, a channel that copies another channel’s overall look and small details like a profile photo or background can be subject to termination. In essence, if a channel looks like it intends to copy another, it’s well outside the guidelines of the impersonation policy.

To get around this, creators are encouraged to state explicitly that the account is a fan channel. It should also be obvious that the channel “does not represent the original creator, artist, or entity that the channel is celebrating.”

YouTube’s new update will go into effect on August 21 with channels falling into the “impersonation” category in danger of termination.