DIGITAL LIFE

Profit above all else: YouTube relaxes monetization policy on videos with controversial content

YouTube is updating its guidelines for videos containing content that advertisers define as controversial, allowing more creators to earn full ad revenue when they tackle sensitive issues in a nongraphic way.

With the update that went into effect Tuesday, YouTube videos that dramatize or cover issues including domestic abuse, self-harm, suicide, adult sexual abuse, abortion and sexual harassment without graphic descriptions or imagery are now eligible for full monetization.

Ads will remain restricted on videos that include content on child abuse, child sex trafficking and eating disorders.

The changes were outlined in a video posted to the Creator Insider YouTube channel on Tuesday, and the advertiser-friendly content guidelines were also updated with specific definitions and examples.

"We want to ensure the creators who are telling sensitive stories or producing dramatized content have the opportunity to earn ad revenue while respecting advertiser choice and industry sentiment," said Conor Kavanagh, YouTube's head of monetization policy experience, in the video announcing the changes. "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 is updating its advertiser-friendly content guidelines to allow more videos on controversial issues to earn full ad revenue, as long as they’re dramatized or discussed in a non-graphic manner. These controversial topics include self-harm, abortion, suicide, and domestic and sexual abuse. YouTube notes that content on child abuse or eating disorders will remain ineligible for full monetization.

“In the past, the degree of graphic or descriptive detail was not considered a significant factor in determining advertiser friendliness, even for some dramatized material,” YouTube explained. “Consequently, such uploads typically received a yellow dollar icon, which restricted their ability to be fully monetized. With this week’s update, our guidelines are becoming more permissive, and creators will be able to earn more ad revenue.”

The Google-owned company says it’s making the change in response to creator feedback that YouTube’s guidelines were leading to limited ad revenue on dramatized and topical content. YouTube notes that it wants to ensure that creators who are telling sensitive stories or producing dramatized content have the opportunity 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. “This content might reference topics that advertisers find controversial, but are ultimately comfortable running their ads against. For example, content may be in a fictional context or voiced from personal experiences in passing or in a non-graphic manner. So, as long as the content steers clear of very descriptive or graphic scenes or segments, creators can now earn more ad revenue.”

The company told moderators last year to leave up videos that may violate platform rules if they are considered to be in the public interest. The New York Times reported at the time that these videos included discussions of political, social, and cultural issues. The policy shift came at a time when social media platforms were rolling back online speech moderation after President Donald Trump returned to office.

YouTube notes that there are still some areas where ads will remain restricted, as topics like child abuse, including child sex trafficking and eating disorders, are not included in this update. Descriptive segments of those topics or dramatized content around them remain ineligible for ad revenue.

The update also makes personal accounts of these sensitive issues, as well as preventative content and journalistic coverage on these subjects, eligible for full monetization.

The Google-owned company said the degree of graphic or descriptive detail in videos wasn't previously considered when determining advertiser friendliness.

Some creators would attempt to bypass these policies on YouTube and other platforms by using workaround language or substituting symbols and numbers for letters in written text—the most prevalent example across social platforms has been the use of the term "unalive."

YouTube has updated its policies in response to creator feedback before. In July, the company eased its monetization policy regarding profanity, making videos that use strong profanity in the first seven seconds eligible for full ad revenue.

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