New YouTube rules will let you remove AI videos that use your likeness

YouTube has updated its policy to let you request the removal of content that resembles your likeness, such as your face or voice.

YouTube quietly added a new policy in June that lets you request the removal of AI-generated or other synthetic content that simulates your face or voice. The new change, first spotted by TechCrunch, is part of YouTube’s privacy request process and is an expansion of the company’s approach to responsible AI agenda introduced in November.

“If someone has used AI to alter or create synthetic content that looks or sounds like you, you can ask for it to be removed,” reads the new policy on YouTube’s support page.

“In order to qualify for removal, the content should depict a realistic altered or synthetic version of your likeness.”

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YouTube will require first-party claims for removals outside of several exceptions, such as when the affected individual is a minor, doesn’t have access to a computer, or is deceased.

The video-sharing platform stated that multiple factors will influence its decision to act on a removal request. These factors include whether the content is altered or synthetic (and whether such alteration is disclosed), if the person in question is easily identifiable, and how realistic the content appears.

The company will also consider if the content can be seen as parody or satire. Additionally, YouTube will verify whether the content shows a public figure (or other well-known person) “engaging in sensitive behavior,” like committing a crime, being violent, or endorsing a product or political candidate.

YouTube’s new policy falls under privacy violations, not misleading content. Once you submit a request, YouTube will give the alleged violator 48 hours to act on the complaint (assuming your complaint aligns with the factors listed above). If it’s not removed during that window, YouTube will review it.