Today we noticed that YouTube demonetized our channel, citing reused content guidelines. Monetization is required to run advertisements on a YouTube channel, the main source to finance our work. LINK TO PETITION https://www.change.org/p/youtube-youtube-shall-not-demonetize-climate-state We think this is a problem based on the algorithm of YouTube’s AI.
We usually have permission to reuse content, alter it considerably, or in some cases re-upload content, and very often with enhanced audio quality edits. It is important to note that in the case of climate science messaging, repeating the basics, highlighting facts and findings is needed because issues repeat itself (just take a look at the current polar vortex and climate change discussion). Videos we share without edits, only make up a small fraction of the over 900 videos we uploaded to date.
The channel is otherwise in good terms, and we only have a small number of videos with copyright claims on it, videos where we use for instance copyrighted music, and fully comply with accepting the claims from other content creators. Additional we regularly receive copyright claims which are false, copyright claims for content which has been published into the public domain. Moreover we also received false copyright strikes, and YouTube declined to let us challenge these, for instance from public gmail accounts, or for content which was created by us.
And YouTube closed our channel entirely in the past, so while we did not get “terminated” this time, it feels very similar. Because we do not have funding, other than from our Patreon’s, we are dependent on monetizing content on our channel. Hence, we hope that YouTube will again allow us to monetize the Climate State channel again, or we can not continue creating climate change related videos.
A big thanks to our over 25,000 followers, our Patreon supporters, and viewers, but unless we can resolve this, we simply can not afford to put out more content on YouTube.
SIGN THE PETITION ASKING YOUTUBE TO MONETIZE US AGAIN
Related
Why are Google and Facebook financing climate skeptics? (2017)
Thank you all who have signed our petition so far, please also consider to share this article and the petition link https://www.change.org/p/youtube-youtube-shall-not-demonetize-climate-state since the continuation of our project depends on it.