When you buy YouTube views, you do it to help your channel grow, so that you can profit faster from your career on the video platform. You’re certainly not doing it to break any rules or get into legal trouble.Â
But for many creators, it’s unclear whether buying YouTube views is, in fact, illegal or not. This is an important point to clarify because it seems like some YouTubers do get their view count decreased or their videos taken down if they get caught purchasing views.
Is it because they’ve broken the law? Or is it merely a violation of YouTube’s own policies regarding legitimate engagement?
We’re here to clear the muddy waters and answer the question, “Is buying YouTube views illegal?” once and for all!
Buying YouTube Views Isn’t Illegal…
Starting off strong, we can emphatically state that buying YouTube views is not illegal.
There’s no law in the United States or legal precedent that says you can’t buy views to raise the view counts on your YouTube videos. Which is a good thing because if so, the most popular creators on the platform would be breaking the law!
That’s right: even the top YouTubers buy views, as well as other forms of engagement like comments and subscribers. It’s simply how YouTube influencers, brands, celebrities, and marketers do business in the wild, unpredictable world of social media marketing.
… But You Could Still Get in Trouble for Doing It
Unfortunately, you can still get in trouble for buying YouTube views under certain circumstances.Â
Even though there’s no law against the purchase of views, social media platforms like YouTube can still set up their own rules about this practice. And they have.Â
Regarding buying engagements, Google – of which YouTube is a subsidiary – has this to say:Â
“YouTube doesn’t allow anything that artificially increases the number of views, likes, comments, or other metrics either by using automatic systems or serving up videos to unsuspecting viewers.”
There are two keywords we want to highlight from that quote: “automated systems.”Â
Automated systems refer to channels that exist solely to shell out engagement on an automated basis. In other words, these channels are “run” by bots, AKA computer programs. There aren’t any real, active people behind them.Â
Basically, if you buy views from bots, you run the risk of getting your content taken down. Repeat violations of Google’s fake engagement policy could result in your entire channel being deleted from the platform, as well.
Buying fake views is certainly not something worth losing your YouTube channel over! And even if you don’t get caught, you’ll probably lose every single fake view you purchased within a few hours or a few days of delivery. That’s because YouTube deletes bot users as it finds them.Â
So, what can we do? Is there no way to buy YouTube views without getting in trouble?Â
How to Buy YouTube Views Safely Without Any Issues?
Your quest to buy YouTube views is not lost. There is absolutely a way to buy YouTube views and not get your content or your channel taken down.Â
Here are three strategies to follow to make sure you don’t get in trouble with YouTube over your purchase of video views.
1. Only Buy Real Views From Real Users
Your first priority when buying YouTube views is to make sure the views you’re purchasing come from real, active accounts. This way, you won’t violate YouTube’s policies regarding bot accounts and “automated systems” of delivering fake engagement.Â
Plus, the engagement won’t really be fake because the views will be delivered by authentic people!
2. Make Sure the Delivery is Staggered
Another way to ensure YouTube doesn’t investigate your account for paid views is to pay for a staggered delivery. In other words, you want your views to be delivered over the course of 1-3 days, not all at once. This will make the influx of views appear more natural and organic.Â
3. Use Your Paid Views to Increase Organic Engagement
Finally, use the views that you paid for to increase organic Engagement, so that you don’t have to rely on buying views to expand your reach.Â
The reason that buying views works is that it helps push your videos out to real, unpaid users. As more authentic viewers find your content, they will engage with it via likes, comments, and shares. They may even subscribe to your channel.
With the increase in organic engagement, you won’t have a need to buy as many YouTube views. The fewer views you buy, the less suspicion that you paid for them you’ll attract.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I Break the Law By Buying YouTube Views?
No. You will not break the law or get into any legal trouble by buying YouTube views for your videos.
Will My Video Get Taken Down If I Buy YouTube Views?
If you buy YouTube views from fake users, there is a possibility that YouTube will remove your video for violating their fake engagement policy.
Will My Channel Get Taken Down If I Buy YouTube Views?
YouTube reserves the right to take down channels that are caught buying fake YouTube views. Presumably, you would need to incur multiple violations before the platform would resort to this harsh punishment.
Is Buying YouTube Views Worth It?
Buying YouTube views can be worth it, providing they’re real and that you use the boost in engagement they bring to increase organic traffic to your channel.
Why Is Buying Real YouTube Views Important?
It’s important to only buy real YouTube views from real and active human users. Buying fake views from bot accounts is how you get your video or your channel taken down.
What is considered illegal on YouTube?
YouTube strictly prohibits content that promotes violence, animal abuse, or dramatized depictions of prohibited actions, and violations can lead to warnings, strikes, or channel termination, depending on the severity and recurrence.
Conclusion
If you’ve been on the fence about buying YouTube views because you thought they might be illegal, you can put your mind at ease. Purchasing views to increase your engagement on YouTube is not against the law!Â
However, keep in mind that you can still get in trouble with YouTube if you buy fake views that come from fake, automated users. To avoid that scenario, always invest in real views, as they are more likely to last longer and won’t ruin your reputation!
