YouTube Demonetization: A Step Towards Censorship?

As an American citizen, you are taught, from an early age, about your right to free speech protected under the first amendment of the constitution. However, the new technological phenomenon known as the internet doesn’t subscribe to such an adherence. What was once regarded a safe space for open, unfiltered discussion has allowed the infestation of legally-protected, widespread censorship.

The internet is the collection of privately-owned spaces, all granted the freedom to manage and censor as they please. The most popular platform for video-sharing, Youtube.com, is no exception. For this reason, a recent issue that has arisen on this site is the demonetization of videos that aren’t “advertiser friendly.” Let’s first start by clarifying that YouTube is a private space and has the legal right to enforce video restrictions. However, YouTube censoring its users goes against the very principles the site was founded upon and had been advertising. It was to be an open space for video content, and despite the fact that YouTube isn’t directly taking down videos, cutting off monetization and money flow is just another, less direct, approach at shutting downs channels. Are the YouTube creators simply the users of the site or should they regarded as associates with a voice in the operation of the business? It might be the corporate group that creates the site, but it is the creator’s that make the site. For this reason, the enforcement of a new policy has left many creators in fear and uproar since demonetization means the end to income and inevitably the end of content uploads. Any content that displays violence, is sexually suggestive, uses inappropriate language, and promotes drug use is deemed inappropriate for advertising.

However, the most appalling addition to this vague list of restrictions is the use of “controversial or sensitive subjects and events” including politics, war, natural disasters, tragedies, or any graphic imagery. This can quite possibly change the face of news reporters such as Philip DeFranco who was one of the first major youtubers hit for demonetization. This attack on news channels has led many to believe that YouTube has an underlying goal: controlling the circulation of information and removing free press independent from the filtered and biased news outlets. Some youtubers even speculate that this could quite possibly be linked to the Hilary Clinton, as she has ties to YouTube corporate and officials from her campaign are regularly seen circulating the annual YouTube convention, VidCon.

Whether there is truly an underlying corrupt cause for demonetization, many creators still find this change an infringement on rights and most of all an act of betrayal from YouTube. Many YouTuber’s have voiced their opinions and tried to get answer from the site, but YouTube’s lack of communication remains a major issue. When the site had decided to finally enforce the advertiser policy and start demonetization it never alerted its users. Therefore, channels had been losing ad revenue for months, unaware it was due to this new policy and assuming it was due to fluctuating video views. Once the YouTube community caught on to the recent changes, they still struggled to communicate with YouTube’s corporate managers about the issue. The notification system was recently installed, along with an appeals system, which is an improvement. However, these systems should have been provided from the start and the lack of communication still remains an issue. Should we expect a rise in frustration and protest amongst the YouTube community or will they simply accept the policy and slowly change their content to fit the new requirements?