YouTube is tightening its rules to stop creators from making money off “inauthentic” content, including mass-produced and repetitive videos, many of which are now easier to create using AI tools.
Starting July 15, the platform will update its YouTube Partner Program (YPP) Monetization policies with clearer guidelines on what content qualifies for ad revenue. While the exact wording hasn’t been released yet, YouTube’s Help page states that creators must continue producing “original” and “authentic” content. The update aims to better define what falls under “inauthentic” material.
Some creators worried the changes would affect reaction videos or clip compilations, but YouTube’s Head of Editorial & Creator Liaison, Rene Ritchie, clarified in a Tuesday video that this is just a “minor update” to existing policies. He emphasized that mass-produced or repetitive content has long been ineligible for monetization, as viewers often consider it spam.
While YouTube downplays the update as a small clarification, it likely wants to protect its reputation by cutting off revenue for AI-generated spam. The new rules could probably lead to mass bans of creators profiting from such content, too.
Will YouTube disable ads from these types of videos? Probably not.