There are problems on YouTube: Some content creators focused on gaming topics are complaining that YouTube is demonetizing their old videos and thus cutting off their revenue. The rules regarding profanity and the depiction of violence in video games have apparently been tightened. In an attempt to solve and address the problem, a major YouTuber, RTGamer, has now been hit even harder.
What is the problem?
- Since November 2022, new rules regarding profanity have been in place on YouTube: The rules have become significantly stricter.
- It was previously allowed to use “mild swear words” (“ass” or “bitch”) in the first 30 seconds of a video – now it is strictly prohibited. Anyone who uses profanity too often during a video can lose revenue from that video.
- The rules also apply retroactively to old videos, causing some YouTubers to lose the steady income that has supported them for years.
YouTuber complains that a video has been rated “18+”
This is what an affected YouTuber says: YouTuber Daniel Condren runs the channel “RTGames” with 2.8 million subscribers.
His video “Best of RTGames 2022” was marked by YouTube as “18+”:
- The video was a multi-hour recap of his highlights of the game year 2022.
- The “18+” rating ruins his reach for the video, as it is now only shown to a select few.
However, when he tried to file complaints with YouTube about the classification, he received a rejection after 10 minutes.
YouTube investigates other videos, now also marking them as “18+”
This is how YouTube reacted to his complaint: In a 20-minute video, Condren explained that he tried to solve the problem with YouTube, but that apparently went massively wrong (via youtube):
My entire channel is now subject to age restrictions and is demonetized because I contacted YouTube support and raised the issue. Now I have to think about leaving YouTube altogether.
The YouTuber says that when he asked YouTube for help, more of his videos were investigated, marked with age restrictions, and thus demonetized. There was initially no contact with him, only this significant limitation of his income.
When he finally got through and was able to talk to employees, he was told why the individual videos were demonetized:
- For example, because a “violent scene” was visible after 110 minutes, such as from the video game “Quarry”.
- Or because profanity was used in the first 30 seconds of a video.
No more videos about Elden Ring or GTA 5 on YouTube?
Condren concludes: If YouTube takes child protection so seriously and applies the same vague standards as it did to him, then “games that are not suitable for children” will no longer be a topic for YouTube: thus games like GTA 5, Elden Ring, or Skyrim.
This has serious consequences: Because the revenue of many gaming YouTubers would completely collapse because of this.
YouTuber believes he asked for help and was punished for it
What bothers him most? Condren finds it particularly annoying that he now has all these inconveniences with so many demonetized videos, just because he inquired about help regarding a single video.
He has already had the worst “customer support” experience of his life and now he was also thoroughly explained why he was rightly punished.
Especially the retroactive demonetization of content that was okay under the old rules, but not anymore under the new ones, is a big problem for him. Because what happens when the rules change again?
A similar problem with “retroactive rule changes” also once had Twitch:
Streamers delete their life’s work from Twitch because they fear a ban
