YouTube strengthens commitment to content creators in Mena region

Between September - December 2021, YouTube removed over 3.7 million videos globally for violating guidelines

YouTube is strengthening its support to the content creating community in the UAE, and the wider Mena region, by adapting its policies to meet the needs of creators as well as users.

Speaking in a virtual meeting on Tuesday, Tarek Amin, head of YouTube in the Mena region, highlighted how the social media platform is protecting its community through four pillars which include removing violative content; raising authoritative content; rewarding trusted, eligible creators; and reducing the spread of borderline content – known collectively as the 4 Rs.

“We value our community and we take our responsibility very seriously,” he said. “We believe that everyone deserves to have a voice and that the world is a better place when we listen, share, and build our community through our stories.”

Amin also highlighted some recent facts about the open sharing platform and its impact in the Mena region. “Over 500 hours of content is uploaded to YouTube every minute, and creators around the world on YouTube are able to share their voices and stories with the two billion, monthly users that are on YouTube. Two in five Egyptian users said that they use YouTube and over 80 per cent of adults in Saudi Arabia agree that YouTube helps them find useful tips to learn how to do something.”

“We also know that 77 per cent of respondents in a recent survey said that they used YouTube to learn a new skill,” he added. “In Egypt, over 450 channels had over one million subscribers, and that is a 30 per cent year-on-year increase. In the UAE, 40 per cent of channels make over six figures or more in revenue; this is 40 per cent increase year on year.”

Keeping this momentum in mind, Amin noted that the platform’s leadership remains committed to protecting the community, while “striking a balance between the beauty of an open platform.”

“Our policies are developed with a wide range of policy experts, and we regularly review them to make sure they’re current,” he stressed. “We reduce the spread of borderline content - which is content that brushes up against our policies but doesn’t quite cross the line like content about the earth being flat.”

Between September - December 2021, YouTube removed over 3.7 million videos globally for violating guidelines: 92 per cent were first detected the portal’s automated systems; 32 per cent had no views at all; and 74 per cent had less than 10 views.

Looking to the future, Amin noted that protecting the community and the platform will remain YouTube’s utmost priority. “We will continue to invest in systems to ensure better enforcement of the 4 Rs; and we will also continue to adapt our policies to meet the Internet’s evolving nature and people’s expectations and to ensure they’re effective in the face of new developments.”

Amin also noted that the platform’s “biggest bets” are on YouTube Shorts, gaming, and women creators. “Shorts are the thing I’m excited about the most, because they are enabling an entirely new generation of young Arabic speakers to express themselves. In addition, the gaming community in the Mena region is one of the oldest on YouTube, and we plan on continuing our support for creators in the region, where we've seen massive growth over the 24 months.”

rohma@khaleejtimes.com