What gets a video taken down, age-restricted, demonetized or shown to fewer people, platform by platform. Every platform rule is quoted from the platform's own page, with a link to it.
Some rules come from laws and advertising regulators, not from a platform. They apply wherever you post, in the places they cover.
01RemovalNudity and sexual content
Intimate image or sexual deepfake of a real person without consent
What triggers it: The video publishes nudity or sexual content of an identifiable real person other than the creator without their consent, including AI 'nudify' images, face-swap porn and other realistic digital forgeries, hidden-camera or leaked private footage, or any intimate depiction of a minor.
“it shall be unlawful for any person, in interstate or foreign commerce, to use an interactive computer service to knowingly publish a digital forgery of an identifiable individual who is not a minor if”
What triggers it: The account holder is an Australian under 16 on an age-restricted platform (eSafety's view: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X, YouTube, Kick and Reddit, among others). Platforms must take reasonable steps to stop them creating or keeping an account.
“As of 10 December 2025, age-restricted social media platforms need to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under the age of 16 from creating or keeping an account.”
03Needs a disclosure labelMoney and investment claims
Paid stock or crypto promo without the amount paid (US)
What triggers it: The creator is paid (money, tokens, shares) by an issuer or dealer to talk about a stock, token, NFT project, presale or other investment that may be a security, and does not fully disclose that they are paid and how much.
“describes such security for a consideration received or to be received, directly or indirectly, from an issuer, underwriter, or dealer, without fully disclosing the receipt, whether past or prospective, of such consideration and the...”
What triggers it: The video's intended audience is children under 13 (judged by subject matter, visuals, animated characters, child-oriented activities, music, age of the people shown, child celebrities, language, kid-targeted ads), but the creator has not set it as child-directed / made for kids on the platform.
“However, if your intended audience is kids under 13, you’re covered by COPPA and have to honor the Rule’s requirements.”
What triggers it: A business's video presents a 'customer' or celebrity testimonial that misrepresents that the person exists (for example an AI avatar or actor presented as a real customer), that they used the product, or what their experience was. Also an owner, manager or employee giving a testimonial about their own business without saying so.
“It is an unfair or deceptive act or practice and a violation of this part for a business to write, create, or sell a consumer review, consumer testimonial, or celebrity testimonial that materially misrepresents, expressly or by implication:”
Posing as a government agency or real business (US)
What triggers it: In a video that sells, asks for money, or collects information, the creator falsely poses as a government agency or a real company (or its staff), or falsely claims to be affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by one: for example official seals, 'Medicare approved', 'IRS program', or a brand's logo and 'official support' styling.
“materially misrepresent, directly or by implication, affiliation with, including endorsement or sponsorship by, a business or officer thereof”
Promoting investments without FCA approval (UK finfluencers)
What triggers it: A creator, as part of a business (paid, affiliate, referral bonus, own product), invites or encourages viewers to invest or take up a regulated financial product, for example sign up to a trading or crypto platform with a code, buy a specific investment, join a paid trading signals group, or take out credit, and the promotion was not made or approved by an FCA-authorised firm.
“Unauthorised persons, such as influencers, who promote financial products or services that are subject to regulation without the approval of an FCA authorised person may be committing a criminal offence.”
Self-harm, eating-disorder or porn content (UK minors)
What triggers it: The video encourages, promotes or gives instructions for suicide, self-injury, or an eating disorder or its behaviours, or is pornographic. Platforms must stop UK children from encountering this, using strong age checks, even where their own rules allow it for adults.
“Content which encourages, promotes or provides instructions for an act of deliberate self-injury.”
Sponsored video without an in-video ad disclosure (US)
What triggers it: The creator has a material connection to a brand they mention or show (paid deal, free or discounted product, affiliate link or code, employment, family or personal tie) and the video itself has no clear disclosure. A disclosure that is only in the caption or description, only at the end, hidden among hashtags, or uses vague words like 'sp', 'spon', 'collab', 'thanks' or 'ambassador' does not count.
“the disclosure should be in the video and not just in the description uploaded with the video.”
What triggers it: Content the creator was paid for, given free products for, or earns affiliate commission on is not clearly labelled as an ad from the very start. In the UK, labels such as 'sponsored', 'gifted', 'in partnership with', 'thanks to X', 'PR', 'collab', 'aff' or just tagging the brand are advised against, and a disclosure only part-way through a video or behind 'more' does not count.
“include a clear and prominent ‘Ad’ label upfront before people view the rest of the content”
What triggers it: A video promotes a product or brand that paid for it (money, free products, affiliate deal) but presents it as ordinary content, without making the paid nature clear in the video by words, images or sounds. Also covers a business posing as an ordinary consumer.
“Using editorial content in the media to promote a product where a trader has paid for the promotion without making that clear in the content or by images or sounds clearly identifiable by the consumer (advertorial).”
12Needs a disclosure labelAI-generated or altered media
Realistic AI person, voice or event without disclosure (EU)
What triggers it: A video contains AI-generated or AI-manipulated image, audio or video that resembles real people, objects, places or events and would falsely appear authentic (face swaps, voice clones, lip-sync edits, realistic AI scenes or 'footage'), and the video does not disclose this at the first exposure.
“shall disclose that the content has been artificially generated or manipulated.”
AI in a paid political ad without disclosure (US states)
What triggers it: A paid political ad or sponsorship about a candidate, election or ballot question in a US state with an AI-disclosure law contains AI-generated image, audio or video and lacks the required statement. In Michigan the statement must say it was generated in whole or substantially by AI, shown for at least 4 seconds and spoken for at least 3 seconds at the beginning or end of a video.
“State that the qualified political advertisement was generated in whole or substantially by artificial intelligence.”
What triggers it: In a sponsored or affiliate video the creator describes personal experience with a product they have not used, gives an opinion they do not hold, or makes claims that would need proof the brand does not have, especially health claims (treats, cures, prevents, weight-loss amounts) or results claims (income, returns).
“You can’t make up claims about a product that would require proof the advertiser doesn’t have – such as scientific proof that a product can treat a health condition.”
Vague eco claim or 'climate neutral' via offsetting (EU)
What triggers it: A commercial video (ad, sponsored post, a brand's own channel) calls a product 'eco-friendly', 'green', 'climate friendly', 'sustainable' or similar without proven excellent environmental performance, claims it is climate neutral or has reduced emissions because of carbon offsetting, or shows a self-made sustainability badge that is not a certification scheme or public label.
“Making a generic environmental claim for which the trader is not able to demonstrate recognised excellent environmental performance relevant to the claim.”
What triggers it: The video contains 'priority content harmful to children': dangerous challenges or stunts likely to cause serious injury, encouraging people to take harmful substances, bullying, abuse or hatred targeting protected characteristics, encouraging serious violence, or realistic serious violence or graphic injury to people or animals. Platforms with recommender systems must filter such content out of children's feeds.
“Content which encourages, promotes or provides instructions for a challenge or stunt highly likely to result in serious injury to the person who does it or to someone else.”