This gives those who are a bit more lenient with their choice of words a chance to monetize their videos.

In 2022, YouTube introduced new rules for content creators, stating that videos containing strong profanity within the first seven seconds could not be monetized. The results were not good: due to unclear rules and uneven enforcement, many YouTubers were outraged because their livelihoods were threatened. A few months later, YouTube relaxed the rules slightly and stated that videos containing moderate profanity are eligible for full monetization. Those containing repeated strong profanity in the first seven seconds or throughout most of the video are eligible for limited ad display. While this is an improvement, the rules are still unnecessarily vague and confusing. YouTube has stopped being vague. The f-word and a few other expressions no longer result in a loss of revenue, even if they are heard in the first seven seconds.

The previous regulation was introduced because advertisers wanted to keep their ads away from profanity. Clearly, this is no longer the case, as advertisers’ expectations have changed, and they can now tailor content to the desired level of profanity. Moderate profanity refers to words such as “*sshole” or “b*tch,” while strong profanity refers to expressions such as “f*ck you.”

Swearing must be carefully selected. Frequent use of strong profanity still violates YouTube’s advertiser guidelines. Videos with moderate or strong profanity in their titles or thumbnails will be subject to limited monetization. The use of extreme profanity, such as racist or homophobic slurs, will result in a complete ban on monetization.

Who decided that seven seconds is an appropriate amount of time between the end of an ad and the first swear word? Removing the seven-second buffer means it will be harder for YouTubers to accidentally break the rules. For those who make a living from their channels, that’s a big deal.

Source: PCGamer