Check their terms of service I almost bet that includes a binding arbitration clause for disputes. Send a notice that you would like to avail yourself of binding arbitration in this matter. Depending on how bad you want it back hire a lawyer to do this in a harass them. Generally when you start forcing them to adhere to their own terms of service they back down and reconsider.
But really what this goes to show is this was never your YouTube account to begin with. As we come up on our presidential elections they all hem and haw about idiotic things that will never change but ask yourself which candidates talk about this kind of nonsense that companies do. Which candidates campaign for the protections of normal people using these services that have become so large that they are the underpinning of many of the things in our society nowadays.
But really what this goes to show is this was never your YouTube account to begin with. As we come up on our presidential elections they all hem and haw about idiotic things that will never change but ask yourself which candidates talk about this kind of nonsense that companies do. Which candidates campaign for the protections of normal people using these services that have become so large that they are the underpinning of many of the things in our society nowadays.