YouTube has revised its ad-friendly content guidelines, permitting breastfeeding videos featuring nudity, along with videos featuring sensual dancing. The platform implemented these guideline changes on Thursday, and they will also apply to gaming videos.
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ISTANBUL, TURKEY - MARCH 23: The YouTube and Netflix app logos are seen on a television screen on March 23, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey.
Losing Monetization Restrictions
In the past, YouTube's policy disallowed ad revenue for breastfeeding videos that displayed a visible areola. Additionally, choreography videos featuring twerking, grinding, or dancers in minimal clothing were subject to demonetization under the platform's previous policy.
In a recent update to its content guidelines, The Verge reported that YouTube has introduced notable changes to its policies, impacting breastfeeding and sensual dancing videos.
YouTube now allows videos featuring breastfeeding, even with a visible areola, to earn ad revenue, particularly when a child is present. This is a significant shift from the previous restriction, where monetization was only permitted if no areola was visible.
Additionally, thumbnails focused on breasts without a visible areola are now eligible for ad revenue. Acknowledging user feedback, YouTube has responded by recognizing the value of breastfeeding-related content as a useful resource for parents.
The platform aims to provide creators in this space with the opportunity to monetize their content. TechCrunch reported that YouTube spokesperson Nate Funkhouser expressed the hope that these changes would create a more inclusive environment for creators to share such content while being eligible for ad revenue.
'Sensual' Dancing
The platform has also expanded its monetization scope to include non-sexually explicit dancing characterized by rhythmic body movements, such as twerking or grinding. Moreover, dance content featuring momentarily minimal clothing is now ad-revenue eligible.
This marks a departure from the previous policy, where such content was not considered monetizable. These updates reflect YouTube's evolving approach to diverse content, aiming to strike a balance between user expression and community standards.
While these changes offer more flexibility for dancing videos, Social Media Today reported that guidelines remain in place to restrict content involving deliberate and recurring breasts, butt, and genitalia, along with what YouTube terms "extremely minimal clothing."
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The existing nudity guidelines on YouTube permit minimally covered breasts or buttocks as long as they don't take center stage in the video. Over the years, YouTube's ad policies have faced criticism for allegedly targeting women and LGBTQ individuals unfairly.
Although the platform has made adjustments in response to these concerns, some creators still feel marginalized. The latest alterations revealed on Thursday, suggest a willingness on YouTube's part to afford creators a bit more leeway, at least in these specific instances.
The latest policy adjustment is not the sole update from YouTube this week. Yesterday, the platform introduced several new policies focusing on responsible disclosure concerning AI-generated videos, coupled with tools for users to request the removal of deepfakes.
Despite having existing policies against manipulated media, YouTube found it necessary to implement additional measures due to the growing impact of AI, which possesses the capability to deceive viewers who might be uninformed about the synthetic nature of the content.
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