YouTube Bans Two Channels for Posting Misleading AI-Generated Movie Trailers

YouTube has suspended two different channels for posting deceptive videos produced with Artificial Intelligence (AI). One of the suspended YouTube channels, Screen Culture, is from India, while the other, KH Studio, is from a different country, namely Georgia, according to a news publication. As per a news report, the two YouTube channels were posting fake movie trailers with the intention of going viral, for which YouTube had suspended their advertising for violating YouTube policies on deceptive content, as well as a failure to disclose synthetic content on their videos.

Deadline first reported that both channels had been banned. These channels are no longer visible when searched on YouTube. Furthermore, the channel URL now redirects to a blank page that reads, "This page isn't available. Sorry about that."

According to reports, these channels had a combined total of over two million subscribers and over one billion views. According to reports, both channels had posted official footage along with AI-generated images to create fake movie trailers to gain views. Deadline reported that YouTube suspended advertising on these channels earlier this year after an investigation revealed policy violations.

Notably, YouTube has a strict content policy against misleading and deceptive content, where creators use clickbait or false thumbnails, titles, or video footage to deceive viewers. Additionally, the company requires creators to disclose content that has been substantially altered or synthetically created and appears to be genuine.

In a statement, YouTube spokesperson Jack Malone told The Verge, "Following the initial suspension, these channels made the necessary improvements to rejoin the YouTube Partner Program. However, once monetization resumed, they clearly violated our spam and misleading metadata policy and, as a result, have been removed from the platform."

Deadline reported that following YouTube's ads suspension, the channels began adding "fan trailer" and "parody" to their video titles and monetization was restored. However, over the following months, these words disappeared, leading to repeated bans.

Nikhil P. Chaudhary, founder of Screen Culture, told the publication that he hired over 10 editors to create these AI-generated fake videos. Their strategy to trick YouTube's algorithm reportedly involved posting these trailers early and making frequent changes to the videos.