Popular educational content creator and social media personality Shivam Malik announced today that his primary YouTube presence is on the verge of permanent termination.
Malik, who has spent over six years building a digital footprint across multiple channels, revealed that he has received four active copyright strikes across his accounts.
The creator stated that unless the situation is rectified within seven days, his channels, boasting a combined 11 million subscribers, will be deleted by the platform.
The crisis reportedly stems from an elaborate impersonation scheme involving a fan page titled Dro Go Facts.
According to Malik, the owner of this page has been re-uploading his original short-form videos and subsequently using YouTube’s reporting tools to claim that Malik is the one infringing on the content.
This manipulation of the platform’s Copyright Strike (a formal warning that can lead to account termination after three violations) has resulted in the automated system flagging the original creator rather than the impersonator.
Malik expressed deep frustration with the current state of platform AI moderation, specifically targeting the lack of human oversight in the dispute process.
He argued that the reliance on Artificial Intelligence to settle ownership disputes allows bad actors to weaponise the reporting system against legitimate creators.
The educator, known for his “fact-based” shorts and life hack content, noted that while his original uploads often garner 1 lakh (100,000) views, the impersonator’s stolen versions frequently reach 25 to 30 lakh (2.5 to 3 million) views due to algorithmic confusion.
Beyond the threat of losing his livelihood, Malik raised concerns regarding the potential for deepfake scams. He cited previous instances where his likeness was used to promote fraudulent schemes, including a fake coin registration scam that charged viewers 2,000 rupees.
The creator warned that if impersonators are allowed to successfully claim ownership of a creator’s identity, the potential for large-scale financial fraud increases significantly as viewers are misled into trusting the wrong source.
The embattled creator, who was recently anticipating the arrival of a Diamond Play Button (an award given by YouTube for reaching 10 million subscribers), stated he has filed a Counter Notification (a legal request for YouTube to reinstate content removed for copyright infringement). However, he remains uncertain if the platform will act in time to save his accounts.
Malik concluded by urging his audience to tag YouTube on social media to highlight the vulnerabilities in the automated strike system, suggesting he may transition permanently to Instagram or his vlogging channel if the main accounts are lost.
