A while ago, YouTube enforced a non-monetization policy on any and all coronavirus-related content released on the website. They have since lifted that policy and have allowed some creators to generate revenue off of their content.
A letter was posted to all the creators on Wednesday by the YouTube CEO herself, Mrs Susan Wojcicki. This came after YouTube started demonetizing content for persistently mentioning the disease in any of their videos. This became a problem for many YouTubers, especially those with health-centric or news related channels.
According to YouTube, the coronavirus falls under its “sensitive topic” category, which YouTube discourages because Ad-suppliers dislike associating their content with anything that could potentially be offensive or inappropriate. The Coronavirus, however, has become more than just a disease. The rapid and uncontrollable spread of this pandemic requires that the updates about this virus be getting to most everyone. YouTube is considered a very big and influential platform and a lot of people look to it to get their news so, naturally, the people spreading the news should stand to generate money off of it.
The CEO says, “It’s becoming clear this issue is now an ongoing and important part of everyday conversation, and we want to make sure news organizations and creators can continue producing quality videos in a sustainable way.”
The ads will now be enabled on a limited number of channels, including those news channels officially sponsored by YouTube themselves. YouTube’s self-certification program has been put into place where creators can apply and submit their content for an automated review and approval.
Many social media platforms have placed strict regulations to battle the spread of misinformation about COVID-19. Facebook has banned all advertisements trying to exploit the virus for their own profit. YouTube have also been hesitant and careful with any information regarding the virus but, with the power that comes with being the second largest search engine on the internet, YouTube can be used to rapidly spread a lot of the information and breaking news to the mass public.
