YouTube Update: Climate Change Policy
Terri P October 28th, 2021
In a recent update, Google has adjusted their advertiser policy to prohibit advertisers, AdSense publishers, and YouTube content creators from running ads or monetizing content that includes misinformation on the topic climate change.
Google Adopts New Policy Regarding Climate Change Content
Earlier this month, Google announced the changes to their policy which will take effect this month, citing advertiser concerns for the new policy.
"In recent years, we've heard directly from a growing number of our advertising and publisher partners who have expressed concerns about ads that run alongside or promote inaccurate claims about climate change," the company said, "Advertisers simply don't want their ads to appear next to this content. And publishers and creators don't want ads promoting these claims to appear on their pages or videos."
What Does This Mean For My Channel?
Google will be using human reviewers alongside automated systems to enforce the policy, which will prohibit ads or the monetization of content that claims or implies that the current scientific consensus on climate change is a hoax, or denies any scientific evidence regarding climate change. The company intends to take into consideration the context of the content, much like YouTube's recent vaccine misinformation policy change, which means that content featuring new research and public debates are still allowed.
If your content includes climate-related topics, be sure to review the recent policy changes here to ensure that your content adheres to the policy. If for some reason your content is flagged or disapproved you can appeal the decision here or directly from your Google Ads account.
Ensuring that your content adheres to the policy is key if you intend to monetize your content as any strikes may disqualify your channel from monetization in the future.