A computer-implemented method for detecting unauthorized content items, the method comprising: receiving, using a hardware processor, criteria relating to an application of a circumvention technique to one or more video content items, wherein the criteria includes abuse criteria including one or more terms that describe the circumvention technique and a transform for use in reversing the circumvention technique, wherein the circumvention technique comprises: an adjusted playback speed for a video content item; a referral URL associated with a video content item; a position or a focus for a spherical video content item; or a region cropped out of a video content item; generating, using the hardware processor, an abuse query that includes at least a portion of the abuse criteria that describes the circumvention technique, the abuse query describing a search for video content items that match the abuse criteria; determining, using the hardware processor, from a plurality of video content items, a subset of video content items responsive to the abuse query wherein the determining comprises searching, based on the abuse query, through playback information associated with the playback of the plurality of video content items to determine the subset of video content items, the playback information comprising one or more playback actions that have been performed by users when playing back video content items in the plurality of video content items; applying, using the hardware processor, for each video content item in the subset of video content items, the transform to each video content item such that the circumvention technique is reversed to obtain a transformed video content item; generating, using the hardware processor, for each transformed video content item, a fingerprint that represents the transformed video content item; and comparing, using the hardware processor, the fingerprint of the transformed video content item to a plurality of fingerprints associated with reference video content items to determine whether the video content item corresponding to the transformed video content item matches one of the reference video content items. receiving, using a hardware processor, criteria relating to an application of a circumvention technique to one or more video content items, wherein the criteria includes abuse criteria including one or more terms that describe the circumvention technique and a transform for use in reversing the circumvention technique, wherein the circumvention technique comprises: an adjusted playback speed for a video content item; a referral URL associated with a video content item; a position or a focus for a spherical video content item; or a region cropped out of a video content item; generating, using the hardware processor, an abuse query that includes at least a portion of the abuse criteria that describes the circumvention technique, the abuse query describing a search for video content items that match the abuse criteria; determining, using the hardware processor, from a plurality of video content items, a subset of video content items responsive to the abuse query wherein the determining comprises searching, based on the abuse query, through playback information associated with the playback of the plurality of video content items to determine the subset of video content items, the playback information comprising one or more playback actions that have been performed by users when playing back video content items in the plurality of video content items; applying, using the hardware processor, for each video content item in the subset of video content items, the transform to each video content item such that the circumvention technique is reversed to obtain a transformed video content item; generating, using the hardware processor, for each transformed video content item, a fingerprint that represents the transformed video content item; and comparing, using the hardware processor, the fingerprint of the transformed video content item to a plurality of fingerprints associated with reference video content items to determine whether the video content item corresponding to the transformed video content item matches one of the reference video content items.