It should be easy to know when you’ve found the official YouTube channel of a creator, artist, brand, or public figure. So in late October, we’re updating what it means for channels to be “Verified” w/ new eligibility criteria & a new look. Details → https://yt.be/help/3QfB pic.twitter.com/JXOvMbkbns
i think that's a bit of an overreaction. they're not removing verification. if you read the whole post, they're just making it so a channel that's impersonating someone else but is still popular can no longer be verified. if you were verified and no longer are you can appeal.