The days when YouTube was demonetizing only controversial and/or contested content seem to be long gone.
In the past, revenue would be cut off mostly from real or imagined copyright infringers, politically controversial channels, and lately, creators unable to cope with COPPA.
But now, even channels like Technology Connections, seen as prime examples of adhering to every Google rule and being a poster child for the platform, the way it says it wants to be – get to wake up to the news of demonetization.
For creators who earn a living on YouTube, that is equivalent to losing a job so it's no wonder they treat it as a serious problem.
Technology Connections, with about 600k users on YouTube, shared on Twitter that YouTube's email said the channel was no longer eligible for monetization since “a significant portion (…) is not in line with our YouTube Partner Program policies.”
Well. I woke up to an email today saying my channel is no longer eligible for monetization since "a significant portion of your channel is not in line with our YouTube Partner Program policies"@teamyoutube any help here?
— Stay Home; Make Technology Connections (@TechConnectify) February 13, 2020
That sounds like a serious transgression on the part of the channel, and a big problem – so you'd think it would take some time, or forever, to resolve.
But in reality, in only an hour after Reclaim The Net reached out to YouTube for an answer – and after the case gained some visibility on social media – the problem was “fixed.”
“I don't think I'll ever know how it was fixed or who exactly did it, but thank you for making it happen, whoever you are!,” Technology Connections's clearly relieved owner said in another tweet.
I have good news! This appears to have been fixed.
I don't think I'll ever know how it was fixed or who exactly did it, but thank you for making it happen, whoever you are!
And thank you to everyone else for your outpouring of support. You melted my heart today 🙂
— Stay Home; Make Technology Connections (@TechConnectify) February 13, 2020
But not all of the channel's supporters were equally impressed with this type of problem-solving – as Technology Connections received no explanation for the original distressful message about demonetization, let alone an apology.
Creators must be used to it by now, but it won't get any easier to deal with: YouTube is not interested in transparency, or providing them with any semblance of actual support.
“It's so terrible that the only way to reach anyone at Google is to stir up a social media shitstorm,” one Twitter user said.
Meanwhile, those independent YouTubers unable to whip up that kind of reaction are clearly on their own.
In speculating what might have caused the glitch in the first place, which unceremoniously removed Technology Connections' monetization opportunities, some of the channel's followers blamed the tech.
“It's their terrible automatic AI,” wrote one user.
That's highly likely correct – but at the core of the problem, it's that terrible YouTube that continues to employ what is clearly sub-par technology regardless of any harm to creators.
