Visit YouTube today, you’ll see a pop-up window alerting you that the platform’s Terms of Service will be updated on December 10th. The new terms do not change the way YouTube treats your info, and YouTube isn’t changing how it uses creators’ content, but it is clarifying a few of its policies.
The new terms provide links to YouTube’s Policy, Safety and Copyright Policies and its Advertising on YouTube Policies. “These are the policies that underpin our Community Guidelines, and we wanted to make sure to call out this detail to you upfront in our Terms,” YouTube wrote. The terms also state that YouTube may automatically analyze content to detect abuse and keep the platform safe.
The terms of service now state the specific age requirement for your country. In the US, you must be at least 13 years old to use the service — otherwise, it’s YouTube Kids for you. Previously, YouTube’s age requirement was buried toward the bottom of its terms, which told kids under 13, “there are lots of other great web sites for you. Talk to your parents about what sites are appropriate for you.”
Thanks to the new terms, YouTube will no longer have the right to use your comments forever. There’s also more info about how to remove content and a description of why you might need to remove content. YouTube says it will be better about giving notice when it terminates its Agreement with bad actors, and it has added instructions for how to appeal takedowns and terminations.
One of the biggest changes might be that the terms are broken up into smaller sections that are easier to read and more visually appealing. This approach seems to be a growing trend. Just yesterday, Apple unveiled a redesigned privacy policy that looks more like a product page, and Facebook recently revamped its Messenger privacy policy so that it’s easier to read, too.
