Another day, another YouTube hack. This time it's Linus Tech Tips, a popular tech channel with over 15 million subscribers, that fell victim to a crypto scam breach. This is just the latest in a series of high-profile YouTube accounts being hacked and used to livestream crypto scam videos. It's not only embarrassing for the channel owners but also potentially dangerous for the viewers who might fall prey to these scams.
Google, which owns YouTube, has been watching accounts get hacked for years. While they do take action to restore breached accounts, it's time for them to take more proactive measures to protect creators. So, what could Google do to prevent crypto scams on YouTube?
One solution could be implementing a lockdown mode for high-profile accounts. This would prevent channel renaming or video deletion from unknown browsers or locations, based on IP and other factors. Additionally, alerts could be sent out when a new location signs in, giving channel owners the opportunity to recover their accounts before any damage is done.
Another solution is a guardian system that requires second approval from another account to rename a channel or delete videos. Additional two-factor prompts for channel actions could also slow down the impact of a YouTuber's own machine being breached.
Creators could also benefit from increased education on how to identify and avoid fake sponsorship offers that lead to malware downloads. By knowing what to look for and how to protect themselves, they can prevent their accounts from being compromised in the first place.
It's time for YouTube to take responsibility and implement these measures to protect creators and viewers from the damaging effects of crypto scam breaches. While we wait for Google to take action, we'll keep waking up to notifications about junk crypto videos on YouTube.
