If you’re a content creator on YouTube, then you know the importance of keeping your videos within the platform’s rules. But have you ever wondered what happens if you slip up and use too many curse words? YouTube has strict rules for any videos that contain heavy cursing, and these rules can have serious consequences for your ability to monetise your videos. Let’s take a closer look at how YouTube is cracking down on foul language in order to protect viewers—and how it might be impacting content creators like yourself.
YouTube’s Three-Strike Policy
The first thing to understand about YouTube’s policy on foul language is that they have a three-strike system in place for any policy violations, be they vulgar language, harassment or violence. This means that if one of your videos, its thumbnail, comments or links breach the policy, then it will be flagged and you will receive a warning from the platform which may come with a one-week suspension. If this happens more than once in a 90-day period, then the video may be de-monetised or even taken down completely—which can have serious financial implications for your channel. Note too that deleting your content doesn’t remove a strike and even private and unpublished content is being scanned for policy compliance.
Why Does YouTube Have Such Strict Rules?
YouTube is all about creating an enjoyable viewing experience for its users. As such, they want to make sure that their viewers are not exposed to offensive content while browsing the site. With this in mind, they reserve the right to censor any videos containing heavy cursing or other kinds of offensive language. In addition, they also want to protect younger viewers who might not be able to understand why certain words are inappropriate.
The Impact On Content Creators
The initial curse-word censorship was implemented in November 2022, but since then, YouTube has received many complaints from content creators who felt like these strict censoring policies are unfair because they limit their ability to express themselves freely and honestly in their videos. Even those who do not use profanity often find themselves caught up in the crossfire when their videos are flagged by mistake or due to false reporting by other users on the platform. Having your video red-flagged can lead to lost revenue and possibly even account termination—which can make it difficult for content creators who rely on YouTube as their primary source of income.
Rule Revision Effective 7 March, 2023:
Following quite a strong backlash from content creators, YouTube issued an update of the curse word censorship policy. From this week, there are only three serious guidelines related to swearing that content creators need to be highly sensitive to:
1. Strictly no harsh profanity in the video title or thumbnail or suffer demonetisation.
2. Limit the amount of strong profanity, and avoid any at all in the first 7 seconds, and this will still allow you to run limited advertising.
3. Use of milder curse words (lighter than the f-bomb) will again be eligible for full monetisation.
How can Content Creators avoid breaking Youtube censorship rules?
It can be difficult for content creators to know what language is considered inappropriate by YouTube’s censors, so one way to avoid having your videos de-monetised is to ensure that you read through YouTube’s Community Guidelines including the Vulgar Language Policy before uploading your video and try to stay within those guidelines as much as possible. Additionally, you should also monitor your own channel closely and check for comments or messages from YouTube regarding any potential violations of its policies so you can address them quickly and appropriately.
Conclusion:
All things considered, it’s clear that YouTube’s censors have had a huge impact on content creators over the years—especially those who rely heavily on cursing in their videos or who are subject to false reports from other users on the platform. While these strict rules may be necessary for protecting younger viewers and ensuring an enjoyable viewing experience for all, it’s important for content creators to understand how they work so that they can avoid any potential pitfalls associated with them. At Agent 6 Marketing we help our clients navigate through daunting digital landscapes like YouTube which helps them reach success faster! Contact us today if you need assistance navigating Youtube or any other digital marketing challenges!