The YouTuber community is in an uproar because some of their videos are being demonetized. YouTube is semi-arbitrarily selecting videos to disable ad revenue on, for reasons ranging from foul language to controversial politics. Many YouTubers feel they will have to self-censor if they want to continue receiving any money from the platform.
According to a YouTube spokesperson, this demonetization scheme has been longstanding, the only change is that they now make it clearer to creators which of their videos are being demonetized. The issue became apparent when popular YouTuber Phil DeFranco got his ad revenue disabled for a video commenting on a controversy involving a social justice warrior who tried to get a Lyft driver fired for the crime of having a hula girl bobble head on his dashboard.
“While our policy of demonetizing videos due to advertiser-friendly concerns is long-standing, we’ve recently improved the notification and appeal process to ensure better communication,” the YouTube spokesperson told Heat Street.
While being more open about the process and adding an appeals process is a positive change for YouTube, the fact that this is going on in the first place is quite troubling.
When looking at the Advertiser-Friendly Content Guidelines, it becomes apparent that any video with a remote amount of edge is at risk of losing advertising dollars — foul language, sexual humor, and basically any video covering a news event.
Many channels are devoted solely to covering the news. This policy may mean they may have to change their coverage to focus more on cat fashion shows and less on wars in the Middle East if they hope to make any money at all.
While this policy certainly has the potential to be politicized in enforcement, right now it is hurting the left and the right. While DeFranco’s video calling out a social justice warrior can be perceived as right-leaning, the far-left opinion show The Young Turks has been hit hard as well. Allegedly, 12 of their videos in the last month were demonetized under the policy.
But the policy goes far beyond the political and controversial. A YouTuber who makes videos about skincare claims her acne treatment videos were demonetized. Apparently pimple-scared faces are too graphic for the site’s advertisers.
Youtuber Chris Ray Gun, who made a video mocking the policy, told Heat Street he hopes his channel will not have to change too much.
“I’ve always made content that most people would deem controversial,” he said. “I’ve been hit in the past with demonetization, but never to an extent where it would drastically effect me.”
The demonetization policy is mostly automated, searching for key words in titles and descriptions. Chris hopes that if he just censors his titles, he’ll be able to keep the video’s content the same.
In a broad sense, it’s understandable that YouTube would be sensitive to advertisers’ concerns. Tide doesn’t want their detergent advertised alongside a 50 minute video attempting to disprove the Holocaust. But by making the policy so broad, it’s caused many YouTubers to reconsider their relationship with the site.
If YouTube continues to take money away from those who make a living on ad revenue, YouTubers will have two options: censor themselves to fit into the site’s tiny box of “advertiser-friendly” content or find a better platform for their videos. Either way YouTube will be worse for it.