This action by the Google-owned company is initiated with the aim of reducing Scam Attempts across the world. By making the links Non-Clickable in Shorts, YouTube will safeguard its audience's interests.

YouTube has announced that it will be disabling links in Shorts comments and Shorts descriptions starting August 31, 2023. This is in an effort to reduce the number of scams and spam that are being spread through links on the platform. YouTube says that it has seen a significant increase in the number of scams and spam being spread through links in Shorts. These links often lead to malware, phishing, or other malicious content.

By disabling links in Shorts, YouTube hopes to make it more difficult for scammers to spread their harmful content.

In addition to disabling links in Shorts, YouTube will also be removing clickable social media icons from all desktop channel banners. This is because these icons can also be used to spread malicious links.

YouTube says that it is working on a new way for creators to share links on Shorts. This new system will be more secure and will make it harder for scammers to spread their harmful content.

What does this mean for creators?

This change will make it more difficult for creators to share links to their other content, products, or websites in Shorts. However, YouTube says that it is working on a new system that will make it easier for creators to share links in a safe and secure way.

In the meantime, creators can still share links to their other content in the comments section of their Shorts videos. However, these links will not be clickable, so viewers will have to copy and paste them into their browsers if they want to visit the link.

What can you do to protect yourself?

If you see a link in a Shorts comment or description, be careful before clicking on it. If you're not sure if the link is safe, you can hover over it to see the URL. If the URL looks suspicious, don't click on it.

You can also report any suspicious links that you see on YouTube. To do this, open the Shorts video and tap the three dots in the top right corner. Then, select "Report" and select "Scam or misleading content."

By working together, we can help to keep YouTube a safe and scam-free environment.