YouTube is currently experiencing several notable issues and changes affecting both creators and viewers. A significant concern is the platform's "restricted mode" which is hiding or limiting access to many videos, even those not marked as restricted by creators. This has led to many creators noticing a substantial drop in their viewership and engagement, with some reporting 10-30% fewer views on their content. The restricted mode system has been updated with AI-driven age verification, making it more stringent and resulting in some content being less visible. Additionally, YouTube appears to be pushing smaller channels more to support emerging creators but slows the push as channels approach monetization thresholds, likely due to the platform’s ad revenue strategies. These changes collectively cause a perception that YouTube is "broken" or going through a crisis, but they stem from multiple smaller algorithm tweaks and policy adjustments interacting at once. The platform’s focus remains on watch time and user satisfaction rather than purely SEO optimization. The combination of these new content restrictions, AI moderation, and monetization dynamics is leading to a complex environment where some creators feel suppressed or shadow banned, impacting overall user experience on the platform in late 2025. This is not due to a single failure but evolving policies and algorithm adjustments in the AI era.
In summary, what is going on with YouTube involves:
- More stringent AI-driven restricted mode limiting video visibility
- Fluctuations in viewership caused by algorithm changes focused on engagement and watchtime
- A support shift favoring smaller creators but with complexities near monetize thresholds
- User reports of fewer visible views and some content not appearing as before
These developments are part of YouTube's ongoing attempts to balance content moderation, creator monetization, and platform engagement in a rapidly changing digital environment.
