New Delhi: Google-owned video platform YouTube has updated its terms of service for all countries outside the United States. The new rules come into effect from 1 June.
The video streaming giant has made some changes in its monetization policy, according to which content creators who are not part of the YouTube Partnership Program (YPP) will be rendered ineligible to earn revenue.
With this move, YouTube plans to push more content creators to be part of YPP, provided they fulfil the eligibility criteria which remains unchanged (1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch). The platform has already decided to initiate this process to serve advertisements on a limited set of brand-safe videos on channels, not in YPP or not under a monetizing agreement.
The new rules will not impact the current monetizing settings offered to content creators who are already part of YPP. To monetize the contents, all creators who are included in YPP will need to submit complete tax information in Google AdSense to determine if any withholding tax applies to their payments.
"You grant the right to YouTube to monetize your content on the service (and such monetization may include displaying ads on or within content or charging users a fee for access). This agreement does not entitle you to any payments,'' reads YouTube's new terms of service in India.
The new update on YouTube could deal a real blow to content creators who purposefully stay away from becoming a part of the YPP fearing ads could drive their users away.
Talking about the change in monetizing policy, Do Your Thng founder Ankit Agarwal said, "Creators don’t receive any compensation from ads run on their videos. The controversial move is a tactile reminder that creators merely rent digital space. They don’t own it. So, they have to abide by someone else’s rules. It’s not merely creators who’ll feel the pinch, non-profit channels will too. None of the benefits from the ads placed on their content will go to them."
Terming it as an 'adpocalypse', Agarwal added that the new move could be aiming to push more people towards the subscription service YouTube premium.
BC Webwise founder and MD Chaaya Baradhwaj said that YouTube's amended terms of service will negatively affect creators, brands, and audiences.
"More ads is not a pleasant experience, and not sharing revenue is ok for those who are not looking at Youtube for monetisation, but definitely discourages content creators. Further, if we are not allowed to disable ads, then it affects branded content. All in all, Youtube's new policies, are not looking good for the creators, brands, or the audience," she asserted.
According to Digidarts founder and CEO Siddhartha Vanvani the new terms of service could give brands an option to advertise on several Indian YouTube channels that are not part of the YPP.
"Brands now have a vast ocean of inventories to advertise their products & services on a large number of channels available. There are a lot of quality Indian YouTube channels that aren’t a part of the YPP, but now with this new update, brands can target these channels too. This will directly enhance the brand's reach, views, and engagement. Additionally, with the help of different campaigns, brands’ can look at acquiring more users and increase sales," said Vanvani.
