With the boon of YouTube media consumption it is important to both the user and the original creator that people know that they content they are viewing is the true “official presence” of that creator. YouTube are thus making it easier for users with new changes to their channel verification program.
The two new parts of the verification program include a new look and new eligibility requirements.
The new look
On desktop, but not on mobile just yet, there is currently a tick or checkmark next to the channel name for verified channels. There is apparently an issue with the checkmark according to YouTube where users are confused thinking that the checkmark means that the content is endorsed and not the identity, which is what the tick actually stands for.
To reduce the confusion over what the checkmark actually means YouTube are introducing a new look to help “distinguish the official channel of the creator, celebrity or brand it represents.”
With YouTube’s expansion the chekcmark has been displayed inconsistently but now the new verification will be displayed across “channel pages, search and comments”. It is apparently harder to replicate giving viewers comfort in the knowledge that what they are watching is the real deal. The new music verification look will also be displayed on “Official Artist Channels on YouTube” replacing the existing music note.
New verification eligibility requirements
Previously, to be verified a channel needed 100,000 subscribers but now with YouTube growing so much this does not work as well. The new criteria for verification require that the creator have clear proof of authenticity. According to YouTube this includes:
- Authenticity: Does this channel belong to the real creator, artist, public figure or company it claims to represent?
- Prominence: Does this channel represent a well-known or highly searched creator, artist, public figure or company? Is this channel widely recognised outside of YouTube and have a strong presence online? Is this a popular channel that has a very similar name to many other channels?
This new criteria will apply to all channels but channels that already meet the requirements will not have to reapply and will receive the new verification automatically.
It is good to see YouTube making these changes. With such a vast number of channels around now a true verification process is required to help users be able to trust that what they are viewing is the real content from the original content creator.
