YouTube's 'second chance' program allows banned creators to start afresh
What's the story
YouTube has launched a new pilot program, giving some creators a second chance to start afresh on the platform. This includes those who were previously banned for sharing misinformation related to COVID-19 and elections. The initiative was announced in a blog post by the company, which had promised last month that it would be implementing this plan for "a subset of creators" whose channels were terminated under now-deprecated policies.
Criteria
Who is eligible for the new program?
The pilot program is open to creators whose channels were terminated for repeated violations of now-defunct COVID-19 and elections integrity policies. However, those banned for copyright infringement or violating YouTube's Creator Responsibility policies are not eligible. If a creator's channel has been banned, they can only apply for a new one after one year from the date of termination.
Policy shift
YouTube relaxes content moderation rules
YouTube has said that it is committed to free expression and will give creators affected by now-defunct policies a chance to return if their channels were terminated. The company has also recently relaxed its content moderation rules to "reflect the new types of discussion and content" on the platform. However, it will still consider several factors while reviewing requests for new channels, including severe or persistent violations of Community Guidelines or Terms of Service.
New beginning
Creators can apply for YouTube Partner Program
If a creator is reinstated through this program, they will have to start from scratch with a new account. However, they can apply for the YouTube Partner Program once eligible, allowing them to share ad revenue with YouTube. The company said in its blog post that it understands many terminated creators deserve a second chance and is working toward rolling this out over the coming months.