YouTube now allows more controversial content to earn full revenue
What's the story
YouTube has updated its advertiser-friendly content guidelines, allowing more videos on controversial issues to earn full ad revenue. The policy change applies to topics like self-harm, abortion, suicide, and domestic and sexual abuse. However, content related to child abuse or eating disorders will continue to be ineligible for full monetization under the new rules. The announcement was made on YouTube's Creator Insider channel earlier this week.
Policy explanation
Rationale behind the policy change
YouTube explained that previously, the level of graphic or descriptive detail was not a major factor in determining advertiser friendliness. This often resulted in uploads receiving a yellow dollar icon, limiting their full monetization potential. Now, with this update, the platform is making its guidelines more lenient to allow creators to earn more ad revenue from such content.
Creator concerns
YouTube responds to creator feedback
The policy change comes after YouTube received feedback from creators who felt that the platform's guidelines were limiting their ad revenue on dramatized and topical content. The company wants to ensure that creators telling sensitive stories or producing dramatized content have a chance to earn ad revenue. "We took a closer look and found our guidelines in this area had become too restrictive and ended up demonetizing uploads like dramatized content," YouTube said.
Content guidelines
YouTube's stance on controversial topics
YouTube clarified that as long as the content avoids very descriptive or graphic scenes/segments, creators can now earn more ad revenue. However, it also noted that there are still some areas where ads will remain restricted. Topics like child abuse including child sex trafficking and eating disorders are not covered in this update. Descriptive segments of these topics or dramatized content around them continue to be ineligible for ad revenue.