One of the first changes YouTube made in response to the coronavirus outbreak was to automatically demonetize creators that mentioned coronavirus.
After creators slammed the policy because they felt it was unfair that they weren’t allowed to earn revenue when talking about one of the world’s biggest news stories, YouTube updated its policies around coronavirus monetization and said that it would pick and choose the creators that are allowed to monetize.
This update was also unpopular with creators who blasted YouTube for creating “literal double standards” on the site.
But now YouTube is hinting that these constantly changing rules and restrictions around coronavirus monetization may finally be going away.
In a video posted to the Creator Insider channel, YouTube’s Director of Project Management, Tom Leung, revealed that the site will stop classifying COVID-19 content as a “sensitive event” in the coming weeks because of the “ongoing nature of this event.”
While Leung didn’t provide a specific date as to when coronavirus will no longer be considered a sensitive event, his comments suggest that once this change is made, more creators will be eligible for monetizing videos about COVID-19.
Leung added that coronavirus videos that violate YouTube policies will be removed and specifically cited “those that discourage people from seeking medical treatment or claim harmful substances have health benefits.”
While creators may possibly be getting some respite when it comes to monetization, it has told creators to expect more deleted videos, appeal delays, and suppressed live streams during the coronavirus pandemic.
