YouTube is updating its advertiser-friendly content guidelines to allow more videos about controversial issues to earn full ad revenue as long as they are discussed in a way that isn’t dramatic or graphic. These controversial topics include self-harm, abortion, suicide, domestic and sexual abuse, and more. YouTube says content related to child abuse and eating disorders will continue to be excluded from full monetization.
YouTube announced the change in a video on its Creator Insider channel this week.
“Until now, the level of graphic and descriptive detail, even for some dramatized material, was not considered an important factor in determining advertiser friendliness,” YouTube explained. “As such, such uploads were typically marked with a yellow dollar icon and were restricted from full monetization. With this week’s update, the guidelines are more permissive, allowing creators to earn more ad revenue.”
The Google-owned company said it made the change in response to feedback from creators that YouTube’s guidelines were limiting ad revenue for dramatized and topical content. YouTube says it wants to ensure creators who tell sensitive stories or create dramatized content have the opportunity to earn ad revenue.
“After further investigation, we found that our guidelines in this area have become too restrictive, ultimately leading to the monetization of uploads, including dramatized content,” YouTube said in a statement. “This content may reference controversial topics that advertisers are ultimately comfortable advertising on. For example, the content may be in a fictional context, be a personal expression of a personal experience, or be non-graphic. So as long as the content avoids highly descriptive or graphic scenes or segments, creators can earn more advertising revenue.”
The move comes as YouTube loosens the way it moderates content on its platform.
Last year, the company told moderators to leave videos that could violate the platform’s rules if they were deemed to be in the public interest. The New York Times reported at the time that the videos included discussions of political, social and cultural issues. The policy shift comes at a time when social media platforms have been rolling back restrictions on online speech following President Donald Trump’s return to office.
YouTube notes that themes such as child sex trafficking and child abuse such as eating disorders are not included in the update, so ads will continue to be restricted in some areas. Explanatory and dramatized content around these topics will continue to be ineligible for advertising revenue.
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