Your YouTube channel has been terminated? You probably broke these rules

The channel had 474K subscribers--a decent number--and was ranked first among Kenya's fastest growing channels, despite being run from Austin, Texas, where creator Kibe resides.

It is not uncommon for Google to terminate an account deemed to have violated the company's stringent set of rules--- and many Kenyan accounts have suffered the same fate, including broadcaster NTV, which lost a channel with 2.1 million subscribers.

So, what are some of the possible reasons for a channel's termination?

Spamming or misleading content.

This includes uploading videos or comments that are repetitive, irrelevant, or deceptive. 

For example, a user might upload a video that is just a link to another website, or they might comment on other videos with spammy links.

Hate speech or violent material

Content that promotes violence or hatred against individuals or groups based on their race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristics is included.

For example, a user might upload a video that contains racial slurs or threats of violence.

Child sexual abuse content.

This includes any content that depicts or promotes child sexual abuse. 

This is a serious violation of YouTube's terms of service, and any account that contains this type of content will be terminated immediately.

Account impersonation.

This includes pretending to be someone you're not, such as a celebrity or another YouTube user. 

For example, a user might create an account with the name of a famous person and then upload videos claiming to be that person.

Copyright infringement.

This includes uploading videos that contain copyrighted content without the permission of the copyright holder

For example, a user might upload a video of a movie or song that they do not own the rights to.

Terms of service violations.

This includes any activity that violates YouTube's terms of service, such as uploading spam, misleading content, or hate speech.

If a YouTube account is terminated, users receive an email from YouTube explaining the reason for the termination. 

They may be able to appeal the termination if they believe that it was made in error.