YouTube has always been a platform for creativity, sharing content for fun, or profit, from uploading selfie songs, to hideous wipeouts, to work that rivals broadcast networks.
But it got more complicated when YouTube monetized videos through advertisements. Because in 2007, the new ‘Partner Program’ enabled creators to make revenue off their videos.
The wrinkle? A number of years after, YouTube decided to create guidelines for ‘ad-friendly’ content, and de-monetized those that didn’t fit the bill…without telling anyone.
In 2016, when YouTube finally related that some videos had been de-monetized since 2012 , creators saw things through a different video lens.
YouTube had been using an algorithm with a vague set of guidelines. Since some videos were being erroneously de-monetized (proof point: about 90% that applied for manual review have been re-monetized), it called into question much of Google’s metrics, let alone it’s ‘Do No Evil’ mantra.
In a day and age when user-generated content rules, and many push the ‘DIY community’ movement of the digital world, even the online ‘standards’ of judgement are more open to big brother broadcast financial finagling.
Though maybe that’s the inevitable evolution, and where start ups, end up.
For more, this YouTube creator gives a great explanation on the de-monetization situation. So in due respect, at least there’s still a Google-critical voice on the channel itself. But will he be de-monetized now? How meta….
Posted By
Michelle
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Blog