The global video platform YouTube has reached a turning point. After maintaining a growth trend since the 2010s, YouTube lost more than 200 million monthly active users (MAU) last year, marking its first user decline. This decline is analyzed as a result of the spread of short-form content driven by TikTok, accumulated platform fatigue, and a flood of generative artificial intelligence (AI) content. In response to this trend, YouTube has shifted from a 'growth strategy' to a 'management strategy' that focuses on restoring content trust and stabilizing its structure. Abolishing the trending page and blocking revenue on low-quality AI content are signals of this change.
According to a report from research firm DataReportal on the 11th, YouTube's global MAU decreased from an average of 2.7 billion in 2023 to 2.5 billion last year, a drop of 200 million. This reflects a decrease of about 7%, marking the first decline in the upward curve maintained since the mid-2010s. YouTube still has 122 million daily active users (DAU) and more than 100 million paid premium subscribers, but there are interpretations suggesting that the platform is entering a phase of structural stagnation due to a slowdown in new user inflow and signs of younger users leaving.
One of the backgrounds for this decline in users is attributed to the spread of short-form content centered around TikTok. YouTube responded by officially introducing the 'Shorts' feature worldwide in 2021, entering the short-form market, but the way content is consumed has already rapidly shifted from genre-based to personalized preference-based, particularly among those in their teens and early 20s.
In response, YouTube began restructuring its content. The first thing to be abolished was the 'trending' page. This section, which had been operating since 2015, showcased popular videos in a single ranking from specific regions and times, but YouTube announced its discontinuation on its official blog on the 10th (local time), stating, "Trends are now formed through various flows within different communities rather than a single ranking." The trending feature will be replaced with popularity charts for different content types such as music, movies, entertainment, and podcasts. This reflects an intent to strengthen the personalized consumption pattern centered around short-form content and algorithm-based recommendations.
The monetization policy for AI-based content has also been strengthened. Starting on the 15th, YouTube will revise the guidelines for the Partner Program (YPP), blocking advertising revenue payments for automated content. This includes videos automatically generated merely by text input (text-to-video), repetitive reaction videos, videos using stock images, and AI voice dubbing videos, which are considered 'non-traditional content' and will not receive advertising revenue. YouTube stated that this revision "clarifies the existing monetization policy" and noted that such content was never intended to be monetized in the first place.
These policy changes are interpreted as measures in response to the quality and reliability controversies surrounding the newly emerged automated content due to the recent proliferation of AI technology. Instances of crime documentary series and deepfake videos of celebrities generated by AI spreading through recommendation algorithms have led YouTube to establish revenue control mechanisms to maintain platform trust and ensure brand safety.
YouTube remains a powerful platform. According to market research firm DemandSage, as of June last year, the average daily usage time on YouTube was recorded at 48 minutes and 42 seconds, and the average monthly app stay time was the second longest among all platforms at 27 hours and 43 minutes, following TikTok (31 hours and 47 minutes).
However, rather than a sense of optimism that 'the metrics are holding up, so it’s okay,' YouTube appears to view this restructuring as an early step in response to the stagnation trend of the platform. An industry insider noted, "From YouTube's perspective, since it already has a massive user base, enhancing content quality might be a more important challenge to maintain it," adding that "given that the content ecosystem is changing rapidly, major platforms could fall behind if they do not adapt their structures."