What YouTube says
“we do not remove video postings due to allegations of defamation.”
“we encourage users to contact the uploaders of the content in question directly.”
- A court order is the other route. YouTube says in some cases it requires one, and that an order involving content on YouTube can be forwarded to it by mail.
Source: YouTube Help, Defamation, United States
What the complaint must contain
- The URL of each video.
- The exact statements in the video or its description that you say are defamatory.
- A declaration that the information is true and complete, signed with your full legal name.
“Statements such as "the whole video" are invalid.”
- YouTube also asks that the claim be specific and strongly supported, and that it explain why you believe the statements are untrue and how they damage your reputation.
Source: YouTube Help, Defamation complaint requirements
Write to the creator first
- Write down each claim in the video that is false, with the proof beside it: a receipt, a lab report, a dated email.
- Send it to the creator and ask for a correction in the video or a pinned comment.
- Keep the thread. If you later file, it shows you tried what YouTube asks for first.
- A creator you have paid is bound by your contract. Pausing or ending that deal is a separate step from asking for a video to come down.
- A creator you never paid owes you a fix only if a claim is false. An opinion is not a false claim.
If the video is true, or just harsh
- Taking down an accurate video is not an option YouTube gives you. Answer it with your own facts, as in influencer backlash against your brand.
- Watch which videos name you each week. Reputation monitoring catches one before the comments fill.