YouTube's new profanity rules have caused an uproar among content creators, who are finding themselves punished for videos uploaded before the rules were even announced. This article looks at the guidelines that were implemented in November last year, how they're being enforced, and how they're impacting streamers and other content creators.

The new rules restrict the use of profanity in a video's title, thumbnail, first seven seconds, or "consistently throughout the video." All curse words are treated in the same way, regardless of how they're used. However, 'hell' and 'damn' are no longer considered profanity. This has resulted in videos being demonetised and appeals being rejected, leaving many content creators feeling frustrated.

What's worse is that YouTube is treating all forms of profanity the same, so even using mild words like 'ass' can be punished. This means that content creators have to be extra cautious when crafting their videos to make sure they don't accidentally slip up and get demonetized. Even then, they may still find themselves in hot water if they are subject to the whims of individual moderators.

YouTuber Daniel Condren, whose RTGame channel has nearly 3 million subscribers, experienced this firsthand when some of his old videos were suddenly demonetised. He was advised to "continue carefully observing" YouTube's various guidelines when making videos in the future. Similarly, voice actor and YouTuber SungWon Cho found that his video was demonetised despite the fact that the profanity occurred after the first 15 seconds and made up a small percentage of the overall script.

These cases are not isolated. Creators have long been struggling to keep up with YouTube's ever-changing rules and guidelines, with little clarity on how they're being enforced. This has resulted in a great deal of frustration and confusion, with many creators feeling that they're being treated unfairly.

It's clear that YouTube's new profanity rules are having a big impact on content creators. While the platform may be trying to create a more family-friendly atmosphere, it's also important to ensure that its rules are fair, transparent, and consistently enforced. Until then, content creators will continue to be frustrated and confused by YouTube's policies.

These examples, together with the MegaMan documentary that was restricted for violating YouTube's "sex and nudity" policy, suggest that the platform is inconsistent in the enforcement of its rules, leaving content creators in limbo and unable to tell what is and isn't allowed.

Conclusion

Overall, YouTube's recent policy update on profanity has been met with an overwhelmingly negative response from content creators. The rules are unclear and inconsistently enforced and are punishing creators for videos that were uploaded before the policy was even announced. It remains to be seen how YouTube will respond to the complaints, but until then, content creators will have to remain extra vigilant if they want to avoid demonetization.