INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
YouTube today announced a change in policy regarding the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19
Previously, YouTube advertising guidelines prevented monetization of videos that included more than a passing mention of the coronavirus as
part of its &sensitive events& policy
The policy is meant to protect advertisers from being associated with videos about things like mass shootings, terrorist acts, armed
conflicts and global health crises — like the coronavirus
Now, YouTube is changing this policy to allow some creators to monetize videos on the topic, it says.
The creator community was unhappy with
YouTube decision to demonetize any video featuring discussions of the coronavirus
(Though, to be fair, YouTube creators are generally unhappy when YouTube demonetizes any of their videos.)
But by not allowing creators to
profit from videos about the coronavirus, or COVID-19, YouTube was putting a damper on informative, newsworthy videos as well as those
capitalizing on the human tragedy and people fears about the emerging pandemic
The ban on monetization also meant that news organizations covering the topic responsibly wouldn''t be able to generate revenue from their
videos, even as coronavirus news became one of their main coverage areas.
Today, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki explained the company decision
to re-open monetization on videos referencing the health crisis.
A letter from @SusanWojcicki to our creators about coronavirus:
https://t.co/SKs2jfkJ8T
mdash; YouTube (@YouTube) March 11, 2020
She says that the sensitive events policy was designed to apply to
short-term events of a significant magnitude, like a natural disaster.
It becoming clear this issue is now an ongoing and important part of
everyday conversation,& Wojcicki said, in reference to the coronavirus, &And we want to make sure news organizations and creators can
continue producing quality videos in a sustainable way,& she added.
Not all video creators will be eligible to monetize their coronavirus
videos, she notes.
Instead, YouTube says ads will be enabled on &a limited number of channels,& including those belonging to news partners
and creators &who accurately self-certify.& The latter is a more questionable choice, as it opens up monetization to any creator using
YouTube self-labeling system, not just news organizations or trusted health authorities.
The Self Certification system is one where creators
use an online dashboard to tell YouTube whether or not their videos comply with advertiser guidelines ahead of YouTube automated review of
Over time, YouTube will rely on creators& input instead of its own systems if the creators have a history of accurate self-certifications
It an honor system, essentially, followed by an official check.
The system doesn''t prevent creators from publishing misinformation in their
videos, then labeling the video as advertiser-friendly
In addition, many creators believe that the bogus information they&re sharing is correct and true, so a self-certification system wouldn''t
stop them from publishing their misleading and often dangerous advice
Already, YouTube has to work to quickly remove videos like that
This includes videos discouraging people from seeking medical treatment or making dangerous claims — like how garlic or bleach can prevent
the viral disease, for example.
To fight misinformation, YouTube is also raising authoritative sources in its search results and
recommendations and is showing information panels on which videos are flagged.
Despite these efforts, there continues to be a massive amount
of misinformation circulating across social media, including on sites like Facebook and Twitter, in addition to YouTube
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus even referred to the crisis as not just an epidemic, but &an infodemic.& (WHO today has upgraded the COVID-19
viral disease to a pandemic, as well.)
In light of the misinformation problem, YouTube decision to open up monetization on videos about the
coronavirus will be a controversial choice
In doing so, it signals to the creator community that one of the most-searched topics on the internet can now be leveraged for views and ad
That invites exploitation.
