YouTube Adjusting Swearing Policy After Creator Backlash

After some backlash from creators, YouTube is “making adjustments” to its swearing policy that has seen videos demonetized if YouTubers swear within the first 15 seconds, The Verge reports(Opens in a new window).

Announced in November(Opens in a new window), the updated swearing policy has caused serious consternation among content creators as all videos on a YouTuber’s channel, not just those that have been newly uploaded, can be demonetized if there is swearing within the first 15 seconds. It’s even more likely ads will be pulled if the video contains a curse word within the first seven seconds, and a video is practically guaranteed to be deemed ineligible for ads if swearing dominates the entire clip.

Speaking to The Verge, YouTube spokesperson Michael Aciman said: “In recent weeks we’ve heard from many creators regarding this update. That feedback is important to us and we are in the process of making some adjustments to this policy to address their concerns.”

He added that YouTube will “follow up shortly with our creator community as soon as we have more to share.”

YouTube did not immediately respond to PCMag’s request to clarify how the current policy will be changed. We will update this article if they do.

As The Verge reports, words are mostly treated equally under the policy. This means moderate profanity such as “asshole” is reportedly ranked the same as “motherfucker.” “Damn” and “hell” are fine, however.

The nascent swearing crackdown contrasts with an earlier softening(Opens in a new window) in its approach to curse words In April 2021, when the platform said it would not pull ads from videos that had “moderate profanity (e.g., shit and bitch) in the first 30 seconds.” That policy no longer stands it seems, and videos that feature a moderate usage of profanity risk being demonetized.

Creators have slammed YouTube for potentially leaving them without a stable source of income as the majority of their videos could get demonetized. They’ve also taken issue with an apparent lack of communication from the video streaming site around the policy rollout, with some such as Cr1TiKaL saying(Opens in a new window) that YouTube treated the policy change like a “government secret”, adding that his YouTube contact did not even know that the change had been made until looking it up.

YouTuber ProZD criticized the move in a popular video(Opens in a new window) where, honoring the rules, he described the policy as “the dumbest fucking shit I’ve ever heard”, 18 seconds in. In a second video(Opens in a new window) criticizing YouTube, he revealed that his previous video had been demonetized two days after it had been uploaded. 

He signed off the second clip with a curt “fuck Youtube.” It’s unclear if that video has been demonetized too, but it was uttered well after a minute in.