YouTube Updates Adult Content Policy to Let Videos Showing ‘Sensual Dancing’ or Nudity While Breastfeeding Earn Ad Revenue
YouTube has updated its monetization policy for adult content in two areas: Creators are now eligible to receive ad revenue from videos that feature “non-sexually graphic dance, such as twerking,” as well as content related to breastfeeding.
In a notice posted Thursday, the video platform said certain content showcasing “sensual dancing” is now allowable under its advertiser-friendly content guidelines. Specifically, that includes “non-sexually graphic dancing involving rhythmic body movements, such as twerking or grinding, as well as dance featuring fleeting minimal clothing.” Previously, YouTube considered such content unmonetizable.
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“We will still restrict monetization on dance videos with deliberate and recurring shots on breast, butt or genitalia, extreme minimal clothing, and sensual moves that mimic sexual acts including caressing a dance partner’s genitalia in a dance,” Conor Kavanagh, YouTube’s monetization policy lead, said in a video Thursday about the policy changes.
Relating to breastfeeding videos, such content can now earn ad revenue “where a child is present, even with visible areola.” Previously, such content was only monetizable if no areola was visible. Also, breastfeeding thumbnails with focus on breasts without visible areola can now earn ad revenue, according to YouTube.
YouTube will continue to restrict ad revenue “on breastfeeding content where a child is not present,” Kavanagh said.
YouTube regularly updates to its advertiser-friendly content guidelines, which spell out what content is and isn’t eligible to receive a cut of ad revenue. For example, in March 2022, the platform said, “Due to the war in Ukraine, content that exploits, dismisses, or condones the war is ineligible for monetization until further notice.”
In 2017, as part of YouTube’s efforts to become more “brand safe” for marketers, the video platform began demonetizing videos and channels that violated the advertiser-friendly guidelines. That crackdown — dubbed the “adpocalypse” — resulted in some creators experiencing significant ad-revenue losses.
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