In a move aimed at enhancing clarity and protecting creators from impersonation, YouTube has mandated that fan account operators clearly identify themselves in their channel names or handles. The change, effective August 21, 2023, was spotted by 9to5Google as part of YouTube’s updated impersonation policy.

Prior to this update, the platform’s policies lacked specific guidelines for fan accounts. They merely stipulated that channels with an intent to impersonate others or specific individuals were disallowed. However, the new policy underscores the requirement for fan accounts to distinctly state their non-affiliation with the individual or entity they represent. Failure to comply could result in the deletion of the account or channel.

“YouTube does not permit content that impersonates a person or channel,” stated Ivy Choi, a spokesperson for YouTube, in a message to The Verge. “In an effort to guard creators from impersonation and assist viewers in distinguishing fan channel content, we are now necessitating fan channels to unambiguously declare their status in their channel name or handle.”

Under these revamped guidelines, channels claiming to be fan accounts in their description, but found to be mimicking another channel and reposting their content, will not be tolerated. YouTube hopes that these changes will “assist genuine fan channels in understanding how to honor their favorite creators,” while safeguarding “original creators from content and channels that are impersonating them.”