YouTube Won't Remove Existing Channel Verification Badges After Outcry

On Thursday, YouTube updated its support website to include details on a big change to the way the company verifies channels. At the time, YouTube said that merely having 100,000 subscribers would no longer be good enough for getting verified and that some verified channels would be losing their status as a result. Creators weren't happy with the change, to put it mildly, and YouTube is already reversing parts of its change.

In a post on the YouTube blog on Friday, the company acknowledged the largely negative response to its updated verification process, saying, 'While rolling out improvements to this program, we completely missed the mark.'

In light of that, the company is updating its new plan, stating that it will allow channels that already feature the verified badge to keep them. In addition, YouTube says that it will reopen applications for verification by the end of next month, returning the ability for eligible accounts to apply for a verified badge.

The company notes that exceeding the 100,000 subscriber mark is still enough to make an account eligible to apply for verification. When the account applies, however, YouTube will also look into whether the account is authentic — something that may have to be proven with documentation or other details — and that it is complete.

By 'complete,' YouTube means the channel must be public and fully filled out with things like a description, icon, and content, plus it must be active on the platform. Assuming an account meets these requirements, it'll get the verified status. The new design for the verification badge has been delayed until 2020 due to these latest changes.