In 2024, YouTube processed more than 2.2 billion copyright claims through its automated Content ID system, a new record in the platform’s history. More than 99% of these claims were initiated without human input, highlighting the scale of automation involved in protecting copyrighted works online.
The latest transparency report from YouTube shows that just 4,564 rightsholders actively used the Content ID system, despite over 7,700 having access. That small group filed the overwhelming majority of copyright claims. In contrast, more than 308,000 users relied on YouTube’s public webform, producing just over 3 million claims.
Content ID, which identifies copyrighted material in user uploads, accounted for 99.43% of all copyright enforcement actions on the platform last year. Of those, 0.31% were submitted manually through the system, amounting to around 6.9 million manual claims.
Despite the staggering number of claims, disputes remained rare. Fewer than 1% of Content ID claims faced challenges—about 22 million cases. Manual claims, however, drew more objections than automated ones, with a dispute rate of 1.13% compared to 0.54%. Notably, over 65% of disputes resolved in favor of uploaders, either due to rights holders withdrawing their claims or failing to respond.
Monetization remains the preferred strategy for most rightsholders. Instead of demanding removal, they chose to monetize more than 90% of flagged content. YouTube shares ad revenue from these videos with claimants, and this approach has proven lucrative. Since its launch, the Content ID system has generated over $12 billion in payouts to content owners.
However, access to Content ID remains tightly restricted. YouTube limits use of the system to vetted partners to minimize the risk of large-scale abuse. A single erroneous reference file can trigger thousands of false claims across the platform. One notable case involved a news organization incorrectly asserting ownership over NASA’s public domain footage, affecting other news outlets and even NASA itself.
While the system is not immune to abuse or mistakes, YouTube maintains that its current model strikes a workable balance for both rights holders and creators. Whether that balance holds depends on who you ask.
Read next: 184 Million Logins Exposed: What a Researcher’s Alarming Find Reveals About Online Security
The latest transparency report from YouTube shows that just 4,564 rightsholders actively used the Content ID system, despite over 7,700 having access. That small group filed the overwhelming majority of copyright claims. In contrast, more than 308,000 users relied on YouTube’s public webform, producing just over 3 million claims.
Content ID, which identifies copyrighted material in user uploads, accounted for 99.43% of all copyright enforcement actions on the platform last year. Of those, 0.31% were submitted manually through the system, amounting to around 6.9 million manual claims.
Despite the staggering number of claims, disputes remained rare. Fewer than 1% of Content ID claims faced challenges—about 22 million cases. Manual claims, however, drew more objections than automated ones, with a dispute rate of 1.13% compared to 0.54%. Notably, over 65% of disputes resolved in favor of uploaders, either due to rights holders withdrawing their claims or failing to respond.
Monetization remains the preferred strategy for most rightsholders. Instead of demanding removal, they chose to monetize more than 90% of flagged content. YouTube shares ad revenue from these videos with claimants, and this approach has proven lucrative. Since its launch, the Content ID system has generated over $12 billion in payouts to content owners.
However, access to Content ID remains tightly restricted. YouTube limits use of the system to vetted partners to minimize the risk of large-scale abuse. A single erroneous reference file can trigger thousands of false claims across the platform. One notable case involved a news organization incorrectly asserting ownership over NASA’s public domain footage, affecting other news outlets and even NASA itself.
While the system is not immune to abuse or mistakes, YouTube maintains that its current model strikes a workable balance for both rights holders and creators. Whether that balance holds depends on who you ask.
Read next: 184 Million Logins Exposed: What a Researcher’s Alarming Find Reveals About Online Security
