“Choose your fucks carefully:” YouTube updates its inappropriate language policy (once again)

YouTube still expects creators to curse wisely.

YouTube is updating its rules to allow users to use strong profanity at the beginning of their videos and still be paid for it.

The news was shared by YouTube’s head of monetization policy experience, Conor Kavanagh.

Previously, creators who would use curse words in the first seven seconds of the video would only be eligible for “limited ad revenue.”

YouTube has a tendency to update its inappropriate language policies frequently, which has an impact on creators.

In 2022, the platform started limiting ad revenue for creators who used profanities in the first eight to fifteen seconds of a video.

This prompted an American YouTuber, ProZD, to share a video in which, after fifteen seconds, he reacted to the policy by calling it “the dumbest fucking shit I’ve ever heard.” This led to the video being demonetized, notes The Verge.

The company introduced changes to the policy in 2023, permitting videos that include curse words at the beginning (the first eight to fifteen seconds) to still be eligible for ad revenue.

YouTube limited revenue for videos that include curse words to try to maintain “broadcast standards.” Advertisers who wanted some time to pass between the ad and the shared profanity also impacted the decision, explained Kavanagh.

He also noted that these expectations have now changed, and advertisers now find a way to “target content to their desired level of profanity.”

Kavanagh also added a few examples of what is considered a “strong profanity” (e.g., “fuck”) and a few examples of what’s considered “moderate profanity” (e.g., “asshole,” and “bitch”).

While the new policy is friendlier to creators, it was noted that they still need to follow “the advertiser-friendly content guidelines” and YouTube’s community guidelines, taking into consideration how often they use curse words in their videos.