How to report a YouTube channel anonymously if you believe it’s violating YouTube’s community guidelines

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youtubeDado Ruvic / Reuters

  • You can report a YouTube channel anonymously, so you don’t have to worry that the user or channel will be able to track the report back to you.
  • You may want to report a YouTube channel if someone is posting offensive or hateful content, but keep in mind it will take time since YouTube needs to review your report and see if the content violates the platform’s community guidelines.
  • Here’s what you need to know to report a YouTube channel on your computer or mobile device. 
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

When it comes to the internet, there’s a relatively simple idea that a lot of people tend to forget. 

To paraphrase Uncle Ben: With great freedom and power, comes great responsibility. When people forget that (just ask any internet troll) and end up posting offensive content, you can report them and hopefully curb their behavior. 

On YouTube, reporting is completely anonymous, so you don’t have to worry about retaliation from the channel you choose to report. But, at the same time, reporting doesn’t have immediate repercussions.

For example, if you want to report a video for inappropriate content, it wouldn’t be immediately taken down. Someone has to review it and decide if the content truly goes against YouTube’s community guidelines, which are often changing and always under scrutiny.  

Though, in some cases, a reported video may get hit with an age restriction to help ensure that it isn’t viewed by those who aren’t mature enough to see it.

Here’s what you’ll need to do to report a YouTube channel.

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How to report a YouTube channel

This process is exactly the same, whether you’re on a computer or using an iPhone or Android. 

Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to youtube.com and sign into your account, if necessary.

2. Go to the page of the channel you want to report.

3. Click on their "About" section.

4. Click the flag icon under the Stats section and select "Report User."

1 HOW TO REPORT YOUTUBE CHANNELDevon Delfino/Business Insider

Alternatively, you can also report the channel art or profile picture of the user from that flagging drop-down. 

Or, if more appropriate, you can block specific videos to control what your kids watch, or you can also block certain channels to keep those users from commenting on your videos.  

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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Devon Delfino)

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