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YouTube will ease restrictions on content discussing COVID-19

Since the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) began spreading around the world, YouTube has been giving creators covering the outbreak a hard time.

While YouTube sought to prevent misinformation from being spread, this meant that YouTubers who were covering COVID-19 were often demonetised.

This was due in part to YouTube’s sensitive events clause in its advertiser-friendly content guidelines.

But now chief executive officer at YouTube, Susan Wojcicki, has informed creators of a change.

The CEO says that the sensitive events policy is meant to apply to “short-term events of significant magnitude” such as a natural disaster.

“It’s becoming clear this issue [COVID-19] is now an ongoing and important part of everyday conversation, and we want to make sure news organizations and creators can continue producing quality videos in a sustainable way,” wrote Wojcicki.

“In the days ahead, we will enable ads for content discussing the coronavirus on a limited number of channels, including creators who accurately self-certify and a range of news partners,” the CEO added.

Creator Philip DeFranco made mention of this on Wednesday in his daily news show (which is often demonetised) and said that his videos discussing the spread of COVID-19 are yet to be monetised although he argued his content may have other issues.

The YouTube CEO also said that the service would use its home page to direct users to authoritative sources of news and information about COVID-19.

“We’re using our homepage to direct users to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other local authoritative organizations around the world to ensure users can easily find updates. We’re also donating advertising inventory to governments and NGOs in impacted regions, who are using it to spotlight timely, helpful information,” said Wojcicki.

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