YouTube creators grappling with comment spam and impersonation may finally get some help fighting those issues.
On Thursday, the official YouTube Creators Twitter account tweeted out a thread announcing that the popular video-sharing platform would be issuing a series of updates to help creators defend against spam comments and others’ attempts to impersonate their channels.
1/ we know how important it is to protect you and your community from bad actors. That's why we’re launching https://t.co/hfqgqfRIzJ to combat identity abuse related spam that starts in the comments section. read on below ⬇️
— YouTube Creators (@YouTubeCreators) June 30, 2022
The tweet thread above also linked to an official statement on the matter from TeamYouTube (via the YouTube Help Guide). In this statement, TeamYouTube further details the changes YouTube is making to combat spam comments and the problem of impersonation. There are three main changes to expect:
You can access the new Increase strictness setting right now. Here’s how to do it on a desktop browser:
Step 1: Go to YouTube Studio and select Settings.
Step 2: Select Community and then choose the Defaults tab.
Step 3: Under Hold potentially inappropriate comments for review (you may need to select that option first if it’s not already), tick the box next to Increase strictness.
Instagram is testing a new format for long-form videos called Features. It allows select creators to upload horizontal videos running up to 90 minutes long. Instagram has already tested the new format with creators in Brazil, and now, it's expanding to tens of thousands of creators across the US.
How will Instagram's new Features format work?
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
I have lost count of how many times I have gone to bed thinking I will finally sleep on time, only to somehow end up scrolling Instagram or X again. A few minutes turn into an hour, then another, and before I notice, it is 2 or 3 a.m. The next morning, I am usually annoyed with myself because I could have just slept and felt considerably better for the day ahead.
It is also a surprisingly hard habit to beat. Knowing you should put the phone down does not always help once it is already in your hand. Brick Night is a new gadget built around that exact problem. Instead of relying on you to remember to turn on an app blocker, it automatically restricts selected apps and websites when your phone enters your chosen sleep space during the hours you set.