Transparency Report

Appeals

At YouTube, we work hard to maintain a safe and vibrant community. We have Community Guidelines that set the rules of the road for what we don’t allow on YouTube. We give YouTube creators the option to appeal video removals or restrictions in case they think we made a mistake. If a creator chooses to submit an appeal, it goes to human review, and the decision is either upheld or reversed. This section of the report provides data on the appeals YouTube receives for Community Guidelines video removals.

Removed videos by the numbers

Total videos removed
9,116,182

YouTube relies on teams around the world to review flagged videos and remove content that violates our terms of service; restrict videos (e.g., age-restrict content that may not be appropriate for all audiences); or leave the content live when it doesn’t violate our guidelines.

This exhibit shows the number of videos removed by YouTube for violating its Community Guidelines per quarter. Further details about video removals are available on the report’s removals page.

Removed videos appealed

Total videos appealed
369,398

As with any system, we sometimes make mistakes, which is why we allow appeals. Creators are notified when their video is removed, and we provide a link with simple steps to appeal the decision. If a creator chooses to submit an appeal, it goes to human review, and the decision is either upheld or reversed.

This exhibit shows the number of appeals YouTube received for videos removed due to a Community Guidelines violation per quarter. Creators have 30 days to submit an appeal after the video’s removal, so this number also includes appeals for videos removed during one quarter but appealed in the following quarter.

Appealed videos reinstated

Total videos reinstated
46,372

If a creator chooses to submit an appeal, it goes to human review, and the decision is either upheld or reversed. The appeal request is reviewed by a senior reviewer who did not make the original decision to remove the video. The creator receives a follow up email with the result.

This exhibit shows the number of videos YouTube reinstated due to an appeal after being removed for a Community Guidelines violation per quarter. Note that a reinstatement counted here may be in response to an appeal or video removal that occurred in a previous quarter.

YouTube Community Guidelines enforcement

Viewers and Creators around the world use YouTube to express their ideas and opinions. YouTube’s approach to responsibility involves four Rs: Remove violative content, Raise authoritative voices, Reduce recommendations of borderline content, and Reward trusted creators.

Learn more at How YouTube Works