YouTube and Demoneitization

Here's why subscribing to substack is more important than ever

I have to start by saying that if you are not a paid substack subscriber, and you have $5, please consider joining paid. It helps me pay the bills when YouTube pulls shenanigans like this.

YouTube demoneitized and age-restricted my Konstantinovka attack video. If you look at my viewership graph, you can see the exact moment when they did it.

Here is the process for uploading a video to YouTube:

You start with the upload screen. In this case, I uploaded some B-roll of Army Pathfinders in action to demonstrate.

The Details Screen

The Moneitization Screen

You then fill out some basic video information, as well as select whether the video is or is not for kids, although with a radio button detailing whether the video should be age-restricted. YouTube will automatically run “checks” but they don’t tell you the results of those checks. It’s almost like paying your taxes where the government knows what you owe but wants to see if you are being honest.

Note that not monitizing your video is a sure way for your video to fall into the YouTube abyss. YouTube is a business and it will recommend videos less if they can’t run ads against it.

Ad Suitability Screen

This is where you self-select what is in your video that could make advertisers uncomfortable.

There are ten categories that could get your demonetized.

Inappropriate Language
Adult Content
Violence
Shocking Content
Harmful or Dangerous Acts
Enabling Dishonest Behavior
Hateful & Derogatory Content
Firearms Related Content
Sensitive Events
Controversial Issues

If you self-certify, and admit to having content in one of these categories, YouTube will usually let your content be monetized, but just won’t run certain ads against it.

For example, a video about testing and reviewing a new gun needs to have “Firearms Related Content” checked because some companies may not want their brands to be associated with firearm content.

Here is where I screwed up

I selected that the video was a “sensitive event, conflict or mass act of violence.”

YouTube tagged it as “Violence”

I’m not sure how regular violence is somehow worse than a mass act of violence. But YouTube eventually flagged the video and since I checked the wrong box, my video was demoneitized and viewership dropped like a rock.

I’m ok. I didn’t get a content strike, but the problem is that whenever you are trying to investigate disinformation, your are always two steps behind the bots. YouTube has a greater reach than Substack, and it’s easier to share. So seeing a video “go yellow” is a major blow to getting the word out. Fewer people see the video, more people see the disinformation side of the story.

So if you do enjoy my Substack articles consider sharing them.

Or even gifting a membership to someone who might like my videos.

I appreciate every one of you guys who support me.