Changes Made to the YouTube Partner Program

YouTube is trying to make positive changes to their YouTube Partner Program after advertisers pull their ads from the popular video sharing site.  Up until recently, anyone could join the Partner Program and monetise their videos. Creators were able to earn money from the ads that were run on their videos. Times have now changed. Google announced that creators would not be able to monetise their videos until they reach 10,000 views. Google will then check out their application and ensure the content on their channel is appropriate for ads to run alongside.

Advertisers Pulling Ads from YouTube

YouTube has received plenty of negative attention in recent weeks. Advertisers including The Guardian and the British Government decided to pull their ad spends after an investigation by The Times showed ads were appearing on unsavoury videos. Many US advertisers have followed this action, pulling their ads until Google can assure them that their ads will not appear on unsuitable videos.  The videos in question include content that are considered extremist, hate and that promote terrorism.

It makes sense for Google to start vetting the creators in order to encourage advertisers to come back to advertising on YouTube. There are additional advantages to be gained from this change. Google hopes that the 10K views and review system will stop ‘bad actors’ from earning and to give protection to genuine creators.  This latest update is in addition to YouTube making it a lot easier for users to file reports against channels that are impersonating other creators. The change has reportedly helped Google close thousands of channels for policy violations.