YouTube is making adjustments to its newly implemented profanity rules.
Before the year began, YouTube recently introduced new profanity rules in their community guidelines. The global online video-sharing platform broadened its profanity base.
More cuss words or mean expressions directed at someone are now included in the list of what the platform flags as violating the community guidelines.
YouTube wants to make its social media platform more appealing to advertisers. However, a group of gamers chastised the company for these rules.
YouTube's new profanity rules
According to TechCrunch, YouTube's changes to its new profanity rules seemed to be implemented more drastically.
The new policy, included in YouTube's advertiser-friendly content rules, completely reevaluated how the company dealt with profanity and violent material.
YouTube has announced that it will no longer consider the terms "hell" and "damn" profane. However, all other forms of profanity will be grouped rather than distinguished based on their level of offensiveness.
According to YouTube, a video may not get advertising revenue if it contains profanity in the title, thumbnails, the first seven seconds, or anywhere else throughout the video if profanity is used repeatedly.
YouTube has also changed its rules about adult content, violence, potentially dangerous or harmful behavior, sensitive events, and anything to do with drugs.
Also, YouTube is removing the ability to monetize a video that shows non-graphic dead corpses without providing context. This is an example of violence.
The same will happen with video game material depicting violence against real-life people or events depicting bombings and mass killings.
Furthermore, any content uploaded to the platform that depicts dangerous acts performed by minors or children performing potentially dangerous stunts will be demonetized.
What this means for parents and child safety
The new YouTube profanity rules and community guidelines added to the platform would benefit most parents. However, it was met with different remarks from different types of creators.
Some creators were not affected by the policies; however, the gaming community, known to show violence and harshness through the games, was affected.
Famous streamers and content creators on the platform immediately took to other social media platforms to voice their frustrations. As a result, there is a widespread backlash surfacing on the internet.
An example would be the tweet from Daniel, also known for his RT Game YouTube channel.
I am so sorry to have to keep tweeting this - but overnight, 6 more of my videos have now become limited suddenly, including my Best of 2020. No notification from YouTube at all on any of these. This is genuinely awful @TeamYouTube pic.twitter.com/UHfSJA1FCt
— RTGame Daniel 👑 (@RTGameCrowd) December 29, 2022
Being demonetized on YouTube also means the creators will not earn anything from their content.
YouTube has not wavered from its commitment to the protection of children. The platform would not permit content that has sexual themes, themes of violence, anything that is vulgar, or any other adult themes that are directed toward families and young children.
YouTube prohibits uploading anything that might compromise the mental or physical health of its users under the age of 18.
This new set of profanity rules and the clearer community guidelines might be an excellent improvement for parents, guardians, and caretakers, but they are also a challenging hurdle for some creators.
However, according to The Verge, YouTube spokesperson Michael Aciman stated that the company is making some adjustments to this policy to address the concerns of everyone.
YouTube is listening to creators' concerns. Aciman added that they would follow up shortly with the creator community as soon as they have more to share.
