YouTube CEO apologizes to creators and users over the company's decision to revoke verification statuses and says it is working to address creator concerns

Updates are expected to come — YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki has just apologized to the creator community over the company's decision …

The Verge 2019-09-21 Julia Alexander

Context & Ripple Effects

YouTube's plan to tighten creator verification in October — announced just a day earlier as a focus on channels needing 'proof of authenticity' — triggered enough creator backlash that CEO Susan Wojcicki is now publicly apologizing and promising fixes. The apology itself is part of an established pattern at the top of the company: Wojcicki previously issued an apology to the LGBTQ community over the Steven Crowder demonetization decision, and back in 2018 promised more transparency and human reviews after the demonetization appeals controversy.

What distinguishes this episode is that the policy under fire is cosmetic rather than economic — badges instead of revenue — yet it drew the same CEO-level damage control, suggesting creator trust is now fragile enough that even non-monetary status changes escalate to the executive suite.

First-order effects

Creators who lost their verification badges get a reprieve path: Wojcicki says YouTube is working to address their concerns before or alongside the October rollout of tightened verification.
YouTube must now reconcile two messages — the TechCrunch-reported position that verification 'isn't an endorsement' and will be restricted, against a CEO apology signaling the revocations went too far.

Second-order effects

Competing platforms courting disaffected YouTubers gain another talking point, since every Wojcicki apology reinforces a narrative that creator relations are reactive rather than proactive.
Expect the verification criteria to be rewritten with grandfathering or expanded eligibility, because the alternative — holding firm after an apology — would undercut the credibility of future outreach.

Third-order effects

If each policy change requires a personal CEO apology to calm creators, platform governance drifts toward case-by-case retreats rather than consistent rules — pushing YouTube toward clearer published criteria and appeal processes for status signals like verification, echoing what it already promised for demonetization.
The recurring cycle of policy announcement, backlash, apology may harden into a structural feature of creator-economy management, where platforms treat creator goodwill as a constraint that shapes how and when they tighten standards.

The trend: Platform leadership is increasingly forced into public apologies and walk-backs as creator communities treat status and monetization decisions as negotiable, making creator trust a binding constraint on policy rollouts.

Discussion

@susanwojcicki Susan Wojcicki on x
To our creators & users-I'm sorry for the frustration & hurt that we caused with our new approach to verification. While trying to make improvements, we missed the mark. As I write this, we're working to address your concerns & we'll have more updates soon.
@susanwojcicki Susan Wojcicki on x
UPDATE 1: We heard loud & clear how much the badge means to you. Channels that currently have verification will now keep it without appeal. We'll continue reviewing those channels to ensure we're protecting creators from impersonation. More on our changes: https://yt.be/...
@jilliancyork Jillian on x
This is so very typical. Social media platform makes decision that will harm users (with no input from users, of course), apologizes, then (most likely) rolls out “fix” that barely helps anyone. https://twitter.com/...
@cobuspotgieter Cobus on x
SO many of these problems can be resolved long before they become issues if only you had an advisory board of YouTubers that represent the community. Even with the best intentions, you'll keep missing the mark if you don't listen to us before implementing such aggressive changes.…
@randumb LG Randumb on x
I hope you read all the tweets from everyone. Especially those in the millions of subscribers... But please talk to your bigger creators before these changes are even thought about going public. Happy to see a pretty quick response from yesterday 🙏 https://twitter.com/...
@lonseidman Lon Seidman on x
While I appreciate the mea culpa I'm surprised how continually tone deaf your policy team is. Might I suggest you hire a “public editor” who can represent the community in these discussions. Similar to what major newspapers do to represent the readers. https://twitter.com/...
@karaswisher Kara Swisher on x
Needed apology but still they just cannot miss the mark on this stuff https://twitter.com/...
@vinny Vinny Vlogs on x
Thank you Susan ❤️ https://twitter.com/...
@kiingtong Will Kiing on x
woah, It's like déjà vu like.. like i've been here before.. woah, It's like déjà vu like.. like i've been here before.. https://twitter.com/...
@cinematicbanter Jacob on x
Verification shouldn't be removed from accounts if they “no longer meet the criteria” the entire point of verification is for audience members to make sure the person they are watching is the actual YouTuber's account. https://twitter.com/...
@itsjoshuamiles Joshua Miles on x
an... apology ? from youtube ? what is this ! https://twitter.com/...
@mangaminx UwU on x
The problem is Susan this is a pattern of constant failure to support creators who have helped the platform grow in favour of what YOU want not what WE want. You constantly make changes that harm peoples livelihoods and cause harm to the mental health of your creators. Fact. http…
@madeyewlook Lex on x
To my friends who are losing their verification, I am hoping VERY much so they rework their ideas. While it may just be a symbol, it has been something creators have held tight as an accomplishment, and rightfully so deserve to keep it. 100k or not. It's already been earned. http…
@nathorix @nathorix on x
Holy shit! Complaining on the internet worked? https://twitter.com/...
@mattnavarra Matt Navarra on x
YouTube's boss admits they screwed up with verification changes announced yesterday https://twitter.com/...
@susanwojcicki Susan Wojcicki on x
UPDATE 2: Like in the past, channels that reach 100k subs will be eligible to apply for verification. To better clarify how channels will qualify, we've updated the eligibility criteria here: https://yt.be/... The new look for the badge will not roll out until next year. pic.twit…
@foldablehuman Dan Olson on x
The updated post makes it sound like “oops, we accidentally verified a few thousand imposter accounts” which is honestly a worse look than “we want it to mean ‘important’ but it would be gauche to just say that” https://youtube-creators.googleblog.com / ...
@benphillipsuk Ben Phillips on x
You still need to purge the platform in general... take example from Facebook and Instagram just remove the trash. Manuel reviews not auto... but you can't please everyone. https://twitter.com/...
@yashar Yashar Ali on x
Does Youtube talk to anyone before doing anything? https://twitter.com/...
@zeldman @zeldman on x
Own your content. “YouTubers said that the most disappointing thing about losing their checkmark was that they'd suddenly be second-class citizens on a platform that some had dedicated years of their lives to.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
@caseynewton Casey Newton on x
I didn't think any company could fuck up verification harder than Twitter, so congratulations to YouTube https://www.theverge.com/...
@doormonster Door Monster on x
Thanks for randomly taking away our verification mark, @Youtube. Never seen anyone gatekeep their own made up achievements so hard that they retroactively revoke them. https://youtube-creators.googleblog.com / ...
@caseynewton Casey Newton on x
5. CORRECTION: YouTube is NOT introducing multiple verification badges as I thought. Instead it is giving verified accounts this muted gray .... thing https://twitter.com/...
@verge @verge on x
Update: YouTube denies removing verification from any channels and says creators can appeal to retain their badges. https://www.theverge.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@taylorlorenz Taylor Lorenz on x
YouTube unverified PewDiePie, the most subscribed to YouTuber on their platform pic.twitter.com/mSGbj76fFJ
@fwiz Ryan Wyatt on x
We made changed to verification. Our new criteria prioritizes verifying prominent channels that have a clear need for proof of authenticity. We look at a number of factors to determine if a channel meets this criteria. If you were impacted, read here: https://youtube-creators.goo…
@inthelittlewood Martyn Littlewood on x
Luckily I'll still be verified. They've given zero real context as to what the new criteria is, how awful. The new ‘Grey background’ is stupid. A tick next to a name is a universally recognizable sign of a verified user online Weird move @YTCreators (https://youtube-creators.goog…
@vidiq @vidiq on x
YouTube are making changes to the verification badge. 1. It's not a badge anymore. 2. Not set by the fixed milestone of 100k anymore. 3. Based on proof of ‘Authenticity’ and 'Prominence. 4. Lots of channels who have it are losing it. https://youtube-creators.googleblog.com / ... …

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