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Change history
October 8, 2026 · YouTube Terms of Service (applies to all YouTube use, including Premium) · medium impact · Historical, imported
If we make material changes that negatively impact your use of the Service, we’ll provide you with reasonable advance notice, except in urgent situations such as preventing abuse, responding to legal requirements, or addressing security and operability issues.
The company providing the service changes from Google Ireland Limited to Google LLC (a US company), the minimum age for using the Service drops from 16 to 13, and the promise of advance notice for changes that hurt your use no longer mentions a detailed email or your right to end the contract. YouTube's licence to your content also broadens to cover promoting and redistributing the Service, and it can now be sublicensed and transferred. If this applies to you, your contract is now with a US entity, and YouTube has wider rights to use content you upload, including for promotion. You still get advance notice of harmful changes, but it may be less specific and the explicit right to leave over those changes has been removed. Before your next renewal date, check your account email for any change notices and review the new licence if you upload content, and you can export your data at any time with Google Takeout. This is general information, not legal advice, so a qualified lawyer can advise on your specific situation.
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History via Open Terms Archive, by Open Terms Archive contributors, available under the ODC Attribution License (ODC-By 1.0).
October 7, 2026 · Google Privacy Policy · medium impact · Historical, imported
Google also collects and uses data that is not associated with your account.
The privacy policy now says Google collects and uses data that isn't tied to your Google Account, such as information stored with identifiers for your browser, app, or device when you're signed out. The rewrite also expands how search history, personalization, and activity controls work, and the European-requirements section and its legal-basis table were removed from this version. If you use YouTube Premium while signed out or across devices, Google may keep usage data linked to that browser or device and use it to personalize your experience and ads, even without an account. The removed European section means EU and UK users will no longer find those rights details in this document, so the wording of your local rights is harder to check here. Before your next renewal, open My Activity and Personalization Settings in your Google Account and set the history and personalization controls the way you want, and check whether any EU or UK rights information you rely on is available in another Google policy page.
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History via Open Terms Archive, by Open Terms Archive contributors, available under the ODC Attribution License (ODC-By 1.0).
September 27, 2026 · YouTube Terms of Service (applies to all YouTube use, including Premium) · medium impact · Historical, imported
You may use the Service if you are at least 16 years old; however, children of all ages may use the Service and YouTube Kids (where available) if enabled by a parent or legal guardian.
The minimum age to use YouTube on your own dropped from 13 to 16, and users under 18 now need a parent or legal guardian's permission. Younger children can still use the Service and YouTube Kids if a parent or guardian enables it. If you or someone in your household is 13 to 15 and has been using YouTube independently, that access now depends on a parent or guardian enabling it, typically through Google's Family Link. Your Premium subscription may be affected by how accounts are set up, so check how each account is managed. Before your next renewal date, check the age on each account in your household and confirm whether any user aged 13 to 15 needs a parent-managed setup through Family Link or the YouTube Help Center.
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History via Open Terms Archive, by Open Terms Archive contributors, available under the ODC Attribution License (ODC-By 1.0).
July 15, 2026 · YouTube Terms of Service (applies to all YouTube use, including Premium) · medium impact · Historical, imported
You understand and agree, however, that YouTube may retain, but not display, distribute, or perform, server copies of your videos that have been removed or deleted.
The terms now let YouTube keep server copies of videos you remove or delete, but not display, distribute, or perform them. The quoted sentence does not appear in the added or removed lists, so it may have been in the earlier version too. Other changes include the contracting entity moving from Google Ireland to Google LLC (US), the minimum age dropping from 16 to 13, and a broader license to your content for promoting and redistributing the Service. Deleting a video from YouTube may not fully remove YouTube's stored copy, although YouTube says it won't show or share that copy. If you upload videos, you're also granting YouTube wider rights to use and promote your content. Before your next renewal date, read the updated license and content-removal sections, and if you want a copy of your videos, download them with Google Takeout first.
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History via Open Terms Archive, by Open Terms Archive contributors, available under the ODC Attribution License (ODC-By 1.0).
May 26, 2026 · Google Privacy Policy · medium impact · Historical, imported
For example, you can interact with many Google services using your device’s microphone or camera, or by uploading multimedia like files, images, screenshots, audio, and video.
The privacy text now covers more kinds of data, including media you upload or capture with a device's camera or microphone, such as images, files, screenshots, audio, and video. It also splits activity into Search Services History and Web & App Activity, and it renames several settings, such as Activity Controls to Personalization and Activity Controls. More of your activity, including media you send to Google services, may be saved to your Google Account and used to personalize search results, recommendations, and ads, depending on which settings you have turned on. Google also says it collects some data that isn't tied to your account, such as identifiers linked to your browser or device when you're signed out. Before your YouTube Premium renewal date, open My Activity and Personalization Settings in your Google Account and check whether Search Services History, Web & App Activity, and Personalized Recommendations in Search services are on or off, then change them if you prefer.
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History via Open Terms Archive, by Open Terms Archive contributors, available under the ODC Attribution License (ODC-By 1.0).
January 28, 2026 · YouTube Terms of Service (applies to all YouTube use, including Premium) · medium impact · Historical, imported
If you believe the termination or suspension has been made in error, you can appeal using this form.
The terms now let YouTube remove content it "reasonably believes" breaks the agreement or may cause harm, "in accordance with applicable law" rather than at its discretion. YouTube can suspend or end an account when it "believes" there is risky conduct, which drops the word "reasonably." The one-year deadline for bringing legal action against YouTube has been removed, and the list of translated versions has been shortened to English and French (Canada). YouTube's power to remove content and suspend accounts is now more clearly tied to its own belief about risk, and the appeal route for suspensions is still available. Because the one-year limit on legal claims has been dropped, the terms no longer set a short window for disputes, so any time limit that applies would come from other law. Impact is medium because these changes affect how much control you have over your content and account. Before your next renewal date, read the full terms and keep your own copies of any important videos or channel data, and if your account is suspended, use the appeal form straight away while noting the dates.
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History via Open Terms Archive, by Open Terms Archive contributors, available under the ODC Attribution License (ODC-By 1.0).
January 21, 2026 · YouTube Terms of Service (applies to all YouTube use, including Premium) · medium impact · Historical, imported
YOU AND YOUTUBE AGREE THAT ANY CAUSE OF ACTION ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THE SERVICES MUST COMMENCE WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR AFTER THE CAUSE OF ACTION ACCRUES.
The terms now say any legal claim related to the service must be filed within one year of when it arises, or it is permanently barred. YouTube can also remove content in its discretion, no longer tied to a 'reasonable belief' or 'applicable law,' and the wording on suspension and termination was tightened slightly with 'reasonably believe.' Most other edits are minor, such as the language list and help-link text. If you have a dispute with YouTube, the window to bring it is now a single year, which may be shorter than the time you have under other terms or local law, so acting promptly matters. YouTube also has broader discretion to remove your content than before. Note the date you first encountered any issue with the service and track the one-year deadline, and keep records such as receipts, screenshots, and support correspondence. Before your next renewal date, review the full Terms of Service and, if you have a specific concern, consider speaking with a qualified legal adviser.
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History via Open Terms Archive, by Open Terms Archive contributors, available under the ODC Attribution License (ODC-By 1.0).
December 10, 2025 · YouTube Terms of Service (applies to all YouTube use, including Premium) · medium impact · Historical, imported
The licenses granted by you continue for a commercially reasonable period of time after you remove or delete your Content from the Service.
The old terms ended your licence to YouTube and other users when you removed content, with limited exceptions. The new terms say the licences continue for a commercially reasonable period after you delete content, and YouTube may keep server copies of removed videos, though it may not display, distribute, or perform them. If you upload videos, YouTube and other users may keep certain rights to your content for some time after you delete it, and YouTube may keep server copies of it. The new wording doesn't set a specific timeframe, so the exact period is unclear. Before deleting any content you've uploaded, save your own copy, and review the Terms before your next YouTube Premium renewal date if you upload content or care about how long it stays accessible.
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History via Open Terms Archive, by Open Terms Archive contributors, available under the ODC Attribution License (ODC-By 1.0).
September 23, 2025 · Google Privacy Policy · medium impact · Historical, imported
If you set your home or work addresses, they can be used to help you do things more easily, such as getting directions or finding results closer to your home or work, and for ads.
The privacy text renames 'Location History' to 'Timeline' and drops the phrase 'more useful' from the description of how home and work addresses are used for ads. It also adds a line about ad campaign performance and a link to learn about advertising technologies. Your saved home and work addresses may still be used for ads, but the policy no longer describes those ads as more useful. The location feature has a new name, so check that the setting you know as Location History is still in the same place and still set the way you want. Before your next YouTube Premium renewal, open your Google account's location and ad personalization settings to check whether Timeline and your home and work addresses are turned on, and change them if you prefer.
Read the source · Archived version
History via Open Terms Archive, by Open Terms Archive contributors, available under the ODC Attribution License (ODC-By 1.0).
History via Open Terms Archive, by Open Terms Archive contributors, available under the ODC Attribution License (ODC-By 1.0).
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