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People love to share YouTube their YouTube app has a new in-app messaging feature that would allow YouTube users to share their friends videos and chats within the YouTube mobile app. That feature is now being shut down, the company says. After September 18, the ability to directly message friends on YouTube will be removed.
The change was first spotted by 9to5Google, which commented that YouTube Posts came into the web in May of last year.
YouTube, in its announcement about the closure, does not offer much insight into its decision.
While the company says it is focused on comments, comments, and Stories, it does not explain why.
A likely reason, of course, is that the feature has been under-utilized. Most people today are heavily invested in their own preferred messaging apps – whether that's Messenger, Whatsapp, WeChat, iMessage or others.
Google, meanwhile, can not seem to stop itself from building messaging apps and experiences. When YouTube Messages was launched, Google was also involved in Allo (RIP), Duo, Hangouts, Meet, Google Voice, Android Messages / RCS, and was poised to transition users from Gchat (aka Google Talk) in Gmail to Hangouts Chat.
However, it is possible that YouTube messages may have been preferred by many young users.
Young … as in children.
A sizable number of commenters are complaining that they were "only up" to their friends because they did not have a phone number.
Some said they used the feature to "talk to their mom" because they were not allowed to use social media.
It seems that many children had been using their parents 'work on their own devices or their parents' ability to communicate with their parents.
That's not a good look for YouTube at this time, given its issues, child exploitation, child predators, and regulatory issues.
The video platform in English. The company had to shut down comments on videos featuring a message that had been communicating via YouTube's comments section.
Notably, the FTC is also following up on complaints about possible violations of COPPA, a U.S. Children's Privacy Law. Child advocacy and consumer groups complain that they have had their own children and parents, and it is their parents and their parents.
Though some people may have used it, it's clear this usage had not gone mainstream. Otherwise, YouTube would not be walking away from a popular product.
The feature also had issues with spam – much like Google+ – as there were unwelcome requests from strangers, at times.
YouTube says users will still be able to share through the "Share" feature which connects to other social networks.
The company declined to comment beyond what it was shared on the forum post.
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