Last week, YouTube released new regulations for creators that determine what gaming videos YouTube will monetize. Some of these new regulations will affect gamers.
A YouTube representative told Polygon, that those who use YouTube channels for live-streaming purposes won’t have any issues. However, those who create montages might. An example would be, if you put a montage video of your favorite Titanfall 2 kills, then YouTube has the right to not offer advertising.
A representative from YouTube stated that the biggest complaint they received from creators is that the guidelines are ambiguous. The new guidelines will help users determine what content will receive advertising.
YouTube stated that advertising in violent gaming videos has become a problem in recent years. In YouTube’s advertising policy, it states “Violence in the normal course of video gameplay is generally acceptable for advertising, but montages where gratuitous violence is the focal point is not.”
YouTube has run into a problem where the amount of gaming videos far outweighs the demand from advertisers. Especially, in recent months, after top advertiser’s complained about offensive, violent and derogatory content which sparked YouTube to change it’s monetization rules.
Youtube describes hateful, inappropriate, and demeaning content in the following:
Hateful content: Content that promotes discrimination or disparages or humiliates an individual or group of people on the basis of the individual’s or group’s race, ethnicity, or ethnic origin, nationality, religion, disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other characteristic associated with systematic discrimination or marginalization.
Inappropriate use of family entertainment characters: Content that depicts family entertainment characters engaged in violent, sexual, vile, or otherwise inappropriate behavior, even if done for comedic or satirical purposes.
Incendiary and demeaning content: Content that is gratuitously incendiary, inflammatory, or demeaning. For example, video content that uses gratuitously disrespectful language that shames or insults an individual or group.
YouTube’s goal is to provide their videos with ad-content more family-friendly for all viewers, and thus gaming videos, have been caught in the crossfire. Creators then must adapt their content to be in compliance with the new guidelines.
However, YouTube made it very clear that they have no intention of demonetizing live streams or let’s play videos. The only gaming videos that will be affected are montages that promote violence.
More information on the new advertising policies will be released in the coming weeks.
