YouTube’s increased transparency backfires

Google’s video giant YouTube has begun notifying its users when their clips have been demonitised in an effort to be more transparent. However, many users who rely on monetisation through advertising feel YouTube’s guidelines are archaic.

what the heck is with youtube trying to force us to stop swearing?! fudge this shiz ill never change ✊? #YouTubeIsOverParty

— daddy (@TheGabbieShow) September 1, 2016

Will YouTube ever be the same again?! ? #YouTubeIsOverParty pic.twitter.com/PH6MMIaA7v

— Amplify (@thisisamplify) September 1, 2016

YouTube’s ‘Advertiser-Friendly Content Guidelines’ are:

Contrary to some reports, YouTube has not released new policy guidelines, nor is it changing how it enforces it; it’s simply begun telling its users when their clips are demonetised.

“While ourpolicyof demonetising videos due to advertiser-friendly concerns hasn’t changed,” a YouTube spokesperson told TMN. “We’ve recently improved the notification and appeal process to ensure better communication to our creators.”

As reported by Gizmodo, before YouTube’s new show of transparency, users would have to view each video’s analytics to see if it had stopped receiving revenue from advertising.

Youtube: This isn’t a policy change, its just a notification/appeal change.
Me: So before you were just turning off ads and not emailing us?

— Philip DeFranco (@PhillyD) September 1, 2016

The hashtag #YouTubeIsOverParty is trending on Twitter in Australia.

Certain channels are having their videos demonetised as a result of three technology and policy enforcement processes:

• Automatic checks, where YouTube scans video titles, metadata and visual imagery;
• Community flags, where other users report content for YouTube to review.
• and advertiser controls, where brands control where their ads appear using demographic, content and category-based settings.

It’s not clear whether videos which are unfairly demonetised in an error are given back pay. However, users can appeal the decision here.

TMN has reached out to YouTube for comment on how its policy’s ‘inappropriate language’ clause affects music videos containing profanity.

YouTube has more viewers and listeners than Spotify and Apple Music combined. But YouTube only pays out on a share of ad revenue. Perhaps this is why the recorded music industry continues to attack YouTube.

Artists and industry figures have long claimed YouTube takes advantage of the dated DMCA scheme, aka 1998’s Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which gives services like YouTube a ‘safe harbour’ from copyright infringement liabilities. The industry claims this allows YouTube to take a lazy stance against piracy and pay unfairly low royalty rates.

In response, YouTube argues its Content ID system – which identifies and manages fan-uploaded videos which infringe copyright – is predominantly being used by labels to earn revenue.

“The overwhelming majority of labels and publishers have licensing agreements in place with YouTube to leave fan videos up on the platform and earn revenue from them,” said a YouTube spokesperson back in June. “Today the revenue from fan uploaded content accounts for roughly 50% of the music industry’s YouTube revenue.”

More recently, aleaked draftof the European Commission’s proposed new copyright law details how it will affect websites like YouTube and DailyMotion. The law’s overhaul could see YouTube sign agreements with rightsholders “reflecting the economic value of the use made of the protected content.” Meaning, YouTube may have to change its monetisation deals to share more revenue with the music industry.

The European Commission is expected to officially present its proposals on September 21.