Tech content creators on YouTube raised alarms this week over sudden removals of popular tutorial videos, suspecting AI moderation. YouTube has reinstated the flagged videos and denied any automation issues, but creators remain uncertain about the reasons behind the takedowns. The incident highlights tensions between platform policies and educational content.
This week, tech creators like Rich White of CyberCPU Tech and the operator of Britec09 noticed their videos on workarounds for installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware being flagged as 'dangerous' or 'harmful.' White's two videos, which he described as 'bread and butter' content yielding high views, were removed despite previously being allowed and even featured by YouTube on trending lists. His channel, started in 2020 as a side hustle and now his primary income source with 330,000 subscribers, received only warnings, not strikes. Britec09, managing a channel with nearly 900,000 subscribers since 2009, saw one video removed, resulting in a strike and prompting him to pause a sponsorship due to income loss.
Creators speculated that AI might be misclassifying the tutorials as piracy, though White emphasized that his guides require a valid Windows 11 license. He noted a 'love-hate relationship' with Microsoft, which declined to comment, suggesting the company benefits from such content drawing users to its operating system. White theorized that YouTube could be using AI for detection but avoiding strikes to prevent over-moderation.
Late Friday, a YouTube spokesperson confirmed the reinstatement of videos flagged by Ars Technica and promised steps to prevent future removals. However, YouTube insisted that both initial decisions and appeals were not automated, even as creators reported denials within one minute—too fast for human review. Britec highlighted the confusion, pointing out that YouTube's creator tools still recommend making such videos, contradicting the flags.
The rapid appeals process felt like interacting with a 'bot or AI,' White said, leading him to censor planned content to avoid risks. Britec warned that older videos could vanish 'in the blink of an eye,' potentially erasing years of work. Panic spread to Reddit, where users urged saving tutorials. 'We are not even sure what we can make videos on,' White told Ars. 'Everything’s a theory right now because we don’t have anything solid from YouTube.'