Youtube dropping monetization for storm videos (not April Fool's)

[Douglas Kiesling]

Youtube is dead as a revenue source for chasers. Now Youtube is trying to limit embedding.

Videos which are put into a limited state cannot be embedded on other websites.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/43721...troversial-new-bid-to-limit-access-to-videos/

 

[Dan Robinson]

The rollout of the AI-driven demonetization/censoring has started in force this week. A large number of high-profile channels have been hit - including those of independent journalists like Tim Pool. There are reports that Hurricane Irma videos are being hit as well.

 

[Dan Robinson]

My channel was hit by another wave of demonetization today, 15 videos including another 2 of my most popular ones. Some pending appeals. If this continues, I will be closing my channel.

There are currently no alternatives for creators to publish monetized content. We may be entering a new era of "citizen journalist" cell phone-only content, as financial incentive to do things professionally or semi-pro is rapidly vanishing.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Another update (September 12). Youtube reinstated monetization on one of my high-view videos (shown above) after I appealed.

 

[Douglas Kiesling]

Youtube is a joke now for anything to do with monetization as returns have dropped way off due to the new policy and lack of advertisers after the big hit by The Wall Street Journal. Here is a great video about why this happened.

This time last year if you asked me about working with Youtube to create and grow the channel and get to the 100K sub mark and work on growing and expand the channel, I would have talked your ear off about how cool and exciting things are and the new possibilities are.

Now we honestly only post stuff to youtube because we have to for the CMS system to catch all the copy right claims B.S.

 

[Dan Robinson]

I discovered there are certain keywords that if used in a video's title, description or tags, can automatically trigger Youtube's AI demonetization bot. If left unedited prior to appeal, it could cause the video to not pass manual review:

damage
disaster
injuries
accident
crash
collision
severe
destroy
fatal
tragedy
flooded

There are probably more of these trigger words, but all of my demonetized videos had one of these words in the description. Even if nothing graphic is shown on the video, if the description has something like "this tornado outbreak destroyed five houses and injured ten people", it could trigger the AI bot and make the video ineligible for ads, even if it is reviewed manually.

Basically you have to make the video description/title as "snowflake-friendly" as possible, as if you're describing the event to a young child. I have had two videos successfully appealed just by removing the word "accident" from the description.

 

[Douglas Kiesling]

I discovered there are certain keywords that if used in a video's title, description or tags, can automatically trigger Youtube's AI demonetization bot. If left unedited prior to appeal, it could cause the video to not pass manual review:

damage
disaster
injuries
accident
crash
collision
severe
destroy
fatal
tragedy
flooded

There are probably more of these trigger words, but all of my demonetized videos had one of these words in the description. Even if nothing graphic is shown on the video, if the description has something like "this tornado outbreak destroyed five houses and injured ten people", it could trigger the AI bot and make the video ineligible for ads, even if it is reviewed manually.

Basically you have to make the video description/title as "snowflake-friendly" as possible, as if you're describing the event to a young child. I have had two videos successfully appealed just by removing the word "accident" from the description.

Yes found the same thing too, terror is another hot topic to not say.

Pretty much you need to say
Epic Whirlwind Blowing Through The Land Of Oz Lifting Mouscatools And Play Houses Into The Air.

 

[Andy Wehrle]

Hmmm, none of my storm videos have been de-monentized, yet (granted none of them are particularly dramatic or popular). A few have the word "severe" in the title and/or description, in the context of "severe thunderstorm."

 

[Dan Robinson]

The bot's slowly making the rounds. The first reports of this latest wave were back in August, I didn't get hit until the 10th of this month. Another video of mine was hit this morning. It looks like it will be an ongoing thing.

 

[Greg Flint]

Wouldn't Youtube (Alphabet/Google) be losing money if they are no longer monitizing millions upon millions of videos?

I would think the easiest solution for them would be to do a more thorough review of the actual content in the videos, rather than simply scrape the descriptions/headings for specific words like "severe, crash, collision etc".

 

[rdale]

Do you think that really would be easier?

 

[Greg Flint]

Do you think that really would be easier?

Point taken, maybe "more worthwhile" would be a better way to frame that statement.

Because if their current scrub/AI engine is turning off xx% of Youtube's revenue from advertisers, they are in the business to make money. This will be hurting their bottom line.

Anyway, it does give me the sense we are turning into a Nanny state. Total and udder disappointment in Youtube's cry to appease the left.

 

[rdale]

Actually it's a cry to appease to the right - the moral stance is more likely not coming from liberals

 

[Ben Holcomb]

Tornado videos on youtube are a dime a dozen anyway. Unless you get something truly remarkable, they aren't making real money anymore. No big deal, it was fun while it lasted.

FWIW, none of my videos have been demonetized. I never used the sensationalized wording though.

 

[rdale]

I paid a lot at your link to watch videos, aren’t you “TheBenHolcomb” on PayPal?