Pretending to be another person, channel or brand
YouTube may take the video down.
Last verified
What triggers it
Copying another creator's or company's name, branding, avatar or content to look like them (e.g. adding 'Official' or 'Real'), or using AI to copy someone's voice or likeness so the channel seems owned or authorised by them.
What YouTube says
“Putting “Real” or “Official” into your channel name to pretend you are the authentic version of another person’s channel.”
We last checked this against YouTube's page on .
How to fix it
Label fan, parody or commentary content clearly, don't use others' logos or names as your branding, and don't use a real person's cloned voice or face without consent.
Good to know
Look for another creator's or brand's logo used as your own branding, cloned voices of known people speaking as themselves, and claims to be the official account. Clearly labelled parody, commentary and fan content are not impersonation; a fan channel must say 'fan' in its channel name or handle.
Can FYProof spot it?
A full check of your video looks for it in what's shown, the words on screen and the caption. What a check finds is an estimate, not a guarantee.
- Video: looked at for this rule
- Speech: not for this rule
- On-screen text: looked at for this rule
- Caption: looked at for this rule
- Hashtags: not for this rule
Sounds other than speech, such as music, aren't checked.
Related YouTube rules
Platforms change their rules often. This page sums up what YouTube publishes; it isn't legal advice.