There have been a new development on how accounts and channels are verified on YouTube. The verification of accounts usually have this mini badge next to the name of the account holder or channel. Before this new development, a channel only needs to have about 100K subscribers to get the “Check” verification badge but with recent issues with “Unsafe Contents” and “Misinformation” which is said to have had a financially effect on YouTube’s corporation, the company had decided to take things to a whole new level which might lead to some channels losing their verified status.

YouTube sent it plain and clear to all accounts that would be affected the new development in an email stating the implementation of a much stricter rule as well as prominence on the platform before any channel would be considered for verification.

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 recognized outside of YouTube and have a strong presence online? Is this a popular channel that has a very similar name to many other channels?

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Aside the stricter rule enforced on accounts, YouTube is also getting rid of the Checkmark which signifies the verification of an account by giving them a gray backdrop behind their name instead. This is to show that the platform approves of the content that is being put out by the channel.

This is going to effect on all kinds of accounts including those of musicians who will lose their note badge in exchange for the backdrop. YouTube is looking to introduce the new badges to its mobile apps which currently don’t indicate verification statuses at all.

The changes will effect after which you have received an email from YouTube notifying you that you’re about to lose your verification which starts by early October. Other news channels and blogs are impacted by this – an example being the AndroidPolice Blog.

The decision can be appealed. But according to AndroidPolice, after they sent an appeal to retain their badge but the stricter rule means you would likely still loose the verification badge at some point

YouTube’s email to affected channels

This is the email YouTube is sending out to affected creators currently, notifying them that they’re ineligible for channel verification:

Hi there,

We’re writing to let you know that we’re updating the eligibility criteria for channel verification on YouTube. Unfortunately, with these changes, your channel no longer meets the criteria to be verified. We realize this might be disappointing, but we believe these updates will make channel verification more consistent for users and creators across YouTube. Please keep reading to learn more about the changes and what you can do.

What’s changing
YouTube will now proactively verify channels instead of accepting requests for verification badges. We aim to verify channels that represent a well-known or highly searched creator, artist, public figure, or company with a clear need to differentiate themselves from other channels with a similar name.

Channels are typically verified if they:
• Have built a large audience and community on YouTube.
• Are widely recognized outside of YouTube and have a strong presence online.
• Or, have a channel name that could be confused with other channels on YouTube.

The goal is to help channels avoid impersonation, and help viewers understand if a channel is the official presence of the creator, celebrity, or brand it represents. The verification badge does not represent endorsements or awards from YouTube.

What this means for you
Starting in early October 2019, your channel will no longer be verified, but you have the option to appeal the decision here. This will not impact monetization of your channel.
For more information on these changes, please refer to the YouTube Help Center.

Sincerely,
The YouTube Team