YouTubers can now drop F-bombs early and still monetize
What's the story
YouTube has updated its monetization policies, allowing creators to use strong profanity (like "f*ck") within the first seven seconds of their videos without losing out on full ad revenue. The announcement was made by Conor Kavanagh, YouTube's head of monetization policy experience. Earlier, such videos were only eligible for "limited ad revenue," making it difficult for creators to earn from their content.
Policy history
The 'dumbest f*cking sh*t' controversy
YouTube's inappropriate language policies have been a contentious issue for creators. In November 2022, the platform had threatened to limit ad revenue if profanity was used in the first 8-15 seconds of a video. ProZD, whose real name is SungWon Cho, posted a video in which he waited 15 seconds before calling the policy change "the dumbest f*cking shit I've ever heard." However, he later said that his video was demonetized due to this policy.
Policy change
YouTube's initial policy and advertiser expectations
In March 2023, YouTube revised its policies, allowing videos with profanity in the first 8-15 seconds to be eligible for ad revenue. This was a welcome change for creators like ProZD who said, "It's about f*cking time." Kavanagh explained that the initial policy was put in place to "align with broadcast standards," but those expectations have changed over time as advertisers can now target content based on their preferred level of profanity.
Policy limits
New guidelines for creators
Despite the new changes, YouTube still restricts monetization for videos with moderate or strong profanity in titles or thumbnails. Kavanagh clarified that videos with a "high frequency" of strong profanity are still considered a "violation" of YouTube's advertiser-friendly content guidelines. He advised creators to be mindful while using such language, saying, "You have to pick and choose your f*cks carefully."