YouTube Contributors Program Rules

Thank you for your interest in the YouTube Contributors Program (the “Program”). By signing up to join the Program, you (“you”, a “participant” or a “YouTube Contributor”) agree to be bound by (1) the YouTube Terms of Service (including the YouTube Community Guidelines), and (2) the additional rules set forth below (together the "Rules"). The Program is supported by a YouTube Contributors Community (“Community”), provided to you by Google Inc. (referred to as “Google”, “we”, “us”, or “our”), an online space where a diverse group of participants can share information, tips, interact in conversations and collaborate.

You must comply with the Rules at all times when accessing, using, or participating in, the Program and its Community platform. Before you access, use or participate in, the Program and its Community, please read the documents comprising the Rules carefully and make sure you understand them. Please note, by participating in the YouTube Contributors program, you must comply with all the Program Rules.

A. ELIGIBILITY 

In order to be eligible to join the Program as a YouTube Contributor, you must:

• have a valid and active YouTube account with a valid YouTube channel (your YouTube account and associated YouTube channel must not be pending, suspended or inactive at the time of enrollment);

• be at least of the minimum age to access and use YouTube in your jurisdiction as stated in the YouTube Terms of Service, unless stated otherwise in additional terms applicable for a given Community;

• agree to and comply with the Agreement at all times; and

• have signed up to participate in the Program here.

Organizations, brands, and businesses are not eligible for the Program. If you offer service(s) for hire (such as marketing yourself as a YouTube captions provider), you agree to not solicit, for commercial purposes, any participants of the Program, or market or promote your service(s) including to participants of the Program or on any YouTube forums, communities, or events.

Continued participation in the Program by some participants may be restricted or revoked for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to,  (i) if you are a government official, including government employees, candidates for public office, and employees of government-owned or government-controlled companies, public international organizations, and political parties, (ii) users who have been flagged or removed from other Google programs or initiatives, or (iii) users who have breached confidentiality, including NDAs, program rules or guidelines across any Google products or services.

 

B. PARTICIPATION

Being a Contributor is an important privilege and marks a milestone in a Contributors’ YouTube journey.  Contributors must engage and respect the other users on the platform, other members of the Program and YouTube employees who help facilitate the Program.  To remain in the Program, Contributors must be actively participating throughout their time as a Contributor. Active participation includes, among other things:

• Engaging in the support forums on a regular (daily or weekly) basis

• Successfully submitting video contributions to be added in the YouTube Help playlist

• Helping users through the Help on Social platform

• Responding to community managers in a timely manner, and participating in hangouts or other group activities on a regular basis

Other requirements as expressed by the community managers or forum members throughout the pendency of the Program.

 

C. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PERKS

1. All perks are subject to availability. Certain perks are available only during the time periods described in the program communications (including the Program website).

2. Perks you have accepted, used or redeemed are not refundable, exchangeable, replaceable, redeemable or transferable for cash, credit or other rewards under any circumstances.

3. By accepting, using or redeeming perks, you release Google LLC and Google Inc., and their subsidiaries, affiliates and suppliers, from any and all liability regarding the acceptance, redemption or use of perks, or other participation in the Program.

4. Google and YouTube are not responsible for replacing lost, stolen or mutilated perks, or re-inviting you to any event (if the perk was an invitation to an event) that you may have missed.

5. We reserve the right to modify or cancel any perks at any time.

 

D. APPROPRIATE CONDUCT AND PARTICIPATION

1. You must comply with these Rules at all times. By way of example, and not as a limitation, you agree that when using Google and YouTube products or services, you will not:

   1. defame, abuse, harass, stalk, threaten or otherwise violate the legal rights (including the rights of privacy and publicity) of others;

   2. upload, post, email, transmit or otherwise make available any unlawful, inappropriate, defamatory or obscene content or message;

   3. impersonate another person or entity;

   4. Share or distribute confidential information;

   5. transmit any viruses, worms, defects, Trojan horses, or any items of a destructive nature; or

   6. submit fake, falsified, misleading, or inappropriate contributions.

2. If you are invited to any events in connection with your participation in the Program (each an “Event”), you agree to comply with any Event rules or regulations, as well as applicable law, while attending an Event.

3. You must abide by Google's Anti-Harassment policy both as part of the Program and at Events. You will be held accountable for your own actions as well as the actions of any guests you invite to Events (if guests are permitted).  You may be removed from any Event and the Program based on your actions or behavior as well as those of your guests.

4. Your contribution to YouTube is voluntary and your participation in the Program is voluntary.  You must not at any time represent yourself in any way as a YouTube or Google employee or a representative of YouTube or Google, or any of their products or services.  YouTube and Google are not, in any way, responsible or liable for your contribution to YouTube including for any errors, omissions, or for any loss or damage arising from your contribution.

5. We do not endorse or sponsor any meetings between YouTube Contributors. As such, if you do organize or arrange to meet independently with other YouTube Contributors, you agree and acknowledge that YouTube and Google are not responsible for organizing, financing, supporting or otherwise facilitating your meetings. YouTube may, at its discretion, allow you to post details of a meeting on YouTube products or services, but such events must be clearly and prominently marked as not sponsored or endorsed by YouTube. YouTube is not, in any way, responsible or liable for any loss or damage arising from or suffered at any such meetings.

6. YouTube may suspend or terminate your participation from the Program at any time, in its sole discretion.

7. To be clear, violations of these rules, breaches of confidentiality, or any behavior not fitting the Program may result in YouTube taking action against you, including, but not limited to, removing you from the program, revoking access to specific benefits (tools, events) or ceasing communications with you.
    

E. CHANGES TO THE PROGRAM

We reserve the right to make changes the Program, including changes to these Rules and Program eligibility, at any time. This means, for example, that we may change the criteria for Active participation.

We are under no obligation to provide the YouTube Contributors Community, and we may discontinue, suspend, or terminate, any aspect of any Community at any time, including terminating any and all Communities as applied to any specific user, category of users, or all users.

In addition, we reserve the right to terminate the Program with one month prior notice. During the one-month notice period, we may change or cancel some or all of the then-current perks.  YouTube and Google are not responsible for terminating the Program including for changing or canceling perks.
 

F. LEAVING THE PROGRAM   

1. YouTube may ask you to leave the program at any time based on your behavior on or off the platform.  If for any reason we cancel your access to the Program, including, but not limited to, because of violations of the Contributors Program Rules or the YouTube Terms or Community Guidelines, or the Google Terms of Service, violations of our confidentiality rules, or harassing participants outside of the program's platforms, strike out, any historical participation in your program account will be forfeited and any unlocked perk that is not yet redeemed, used, or accepted will be forfeited.

2. You may cancel or terminate your status as a Contributor at any time for any reason.  Any access, perks, historical account information or unused rewards may be forfeited at the time of cancellation.

3. If any of your YouTube account or Google account is not in good standing, your enrollment in the Program may be canceled.

4. The confidentiality obligations herein will survive any termination or cancellation of the program.
    

G. COMMUNICATION ABOUT THE PROGRAM

By accessing, using or participating in our program’s community, you agree to be emailed about the  Program. You can control which community emails you receive in the Notification Settings section of your profile settings.
 

H. USER DATA AND PRIVACY

1. You may be required to provide certain information (such as identification or contact details) as part of the registration process, or as part of your continued access to, use of, or participation in, the program and its community platform. By accessing, using, or participating in, the program and its community platform, you agree that personal information that you share with us will be treated in accordance with Google Privacy Policy (currently at https://google.com/policies/privacy/) which explains how we treat your personal data and protect your privacy.

2. Google has engaged a third party vendor (currently Lithium), to host the YouTube Contributors Community website(s) on behalf of Google and to assist Google with operating this website. In the course of operating the website, Google (and its vendor on behalf of Google) may collect, use, store, process, and disclose, your personal information, and may share your personal information, in accordance with Google Privacy Policy.
    
3. Google and its vendor will retain your contact information for as long as your user account is active with the YouTube Contributors Community or as needed to provide you access to any YouTube Community. You can remove your account details by closing your Community Account by accessing your Profile settings in the YouTube Contributors Community website and going to the section “Close Account.”  Closing your account will (i) delete your YouTube Contributors Community account details across all Communities that you participated in, and (ii) anonymize your username and content that you posted across all Communities that you participated in. You can also delete content you have posted on Communities websites if such content was not a part of a discussion.   
    
4. Google and its vendor will retain and use your information as necessary to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce their agreements.
    
5. You agree that Google may use your user name, channel name, and content relating to your participation in, contribution to, and activities relating to, any Community in presentations, marketing materials, participant lists, websites, research and marketing case studies and other marketing related activities. You grant to Google a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to display such names and content for the above purposes.  Do not make any public announcement relating to any Community that suggests partnership with Google, or endorsement by Google, without Google’s prior review and approval.
    
6.  You understand that we do not guarantee any confidentiality with respect to any contribution and content you submit or share in connection with any Community.  
    

I.   CONFIDENTIALITY

Do not disclose any information provided to you as a Contributor including Google Confidential Information to anyone without YouTube's prior written consent. "Google Confidential Information" means all non-public Google software, technology, programming, and specifications that Google may share with you including, without limitation, at any events, in forums and via any communication, and any other information designated by Google as "Confidential" or an equivalent designation. Google Confidential Information does not include information that has become publicly known through no breach by you or Google, or information that has been (a) independently developed without access to Google Confidential Information as evidenced in writing; (b) rightfully received by you from a third party who has the lawful right to disclose such information; or (c) that becomes public through no fault of your own.
 

J.  GENERAL

1. You are responsible for complying with all applicable laws, rules and regulations (including U.S. export control or trade laws), and all YouTube policies including these Rules. In addition, you are responsible for complying with all applicable tax laws and filing requirements in connection with the Program including for any perks if required.  Do not access or use the Program in a manner that violates such laws, rules and regulations, or any YouTube policies or in a manner that is deceptive, unethical, false or misleading.

2. Fraud, abuse or other violative behavior relating to the submission of contributions or accrual of perks may result in forfeiture of accrued unlocked perks as well as cancellation of your program account, termination of your participation in the Program, and termination of any YouTube account or Google account.

3. From time to time, we may elect to promote your membership in the Program

4. Do not direct, encourage or allow any third party, site, bot or any other non-human participant initiated mechanisms for the submission of contributions.

5. If you’re a part of a network and you or your network is suspended or terminated by YouTube, your opportunity to unlock perks, or use unlocked perks, will also be suspended or terminated.

6. We reserve the right to discontinue any aspect of the Program at any time, including terminating the Program.

7. All questions or disputes regarding eligibility for the Program, eligibility of unlocking perks will be resolved by YouTube at its sole discretion.

8. You are not Google’s employee, legal partner, representative or agent; the parties are independent contractors, and you are not entitled to, and Google is not obligated or required to pay you, compensation of any kind for your participation in any YouTube Contributors Program, Community or actions or omissions relating to any aspect of the Program.

9. Any local language translation (where applicable) exists for reference purposes only, and only the English version will be legally binding. If there is any inconsistency between the two versions, the English version will control.