Suicide, abortions: YouTube relaxes ad guidelines for "controversial topics"
YouTubers who responsibly address topics such as suicide and abortions will be able to earn advertising money with their videos in the future.
(Image: Dilok Klaisataporn/Shutterstock.com)
YouTube is relaxing its monetization guidelines for content that the platform classifies as “controversial.” YouTubers who deal with topics such as suicide, eating disorders, domestic and sexual violence, and abortions will be able to earn full advertising revenue with their videos in the future, provided they adhere to certain rules.
Google informs about the changes to the “ad-friendly content guidelines” in a YouTube video. In it, YouTube monetization chief Conor Kavanagh also describes the reasons behind the change introduced in January: “We want to ensure that creators who tell sensitive stories or produce dramatized content have the opportunity to earn advertising revenue – while still respecting advertisers' freedom of choice. Upon closer examination, we found that our guidelines in this area were too restrictive.”
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YouTube lists various categories of content in its guidelines that cannot be monetized with advertisements or can only be monetized to a limited extent. In addition to “controversial topics,” there are also such restrictions for hateful or highly sexualized content. YouTube is not changing anything here; the relaxations only affect the content category of “controversial topics.”
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News reports and warnings
The new YouTube policy is not a free pass: YouTube users must still deal with topics responsibly for their videos to be considered for full monetization. YouTube includes videos that attempt to prevent events such as suicide or sexual violence. According to the new guidelines, videos in which “controversial topics” are only briefly mentioned or not depicted drastically are also acceptable for advertising.
With this, YouTube wants to ensure, among other things, that journalistic news content or personal accounts can be monetized. Advertising revenue can also be generated with dramatized content. YouTube gives the example of a film in which a person jumps off a bridge.
Child abuse remains taboo
YouTube remains more cautious when it comes to child abuse: content on this topic will continue to be eligible for advertising revenue only to a limited extent or not at all. Advertising for or glorification of suicide or abuse is completely taboo for advertising, as is the “cruel depiction of self-harm” or the “explicit discussion of eating disorders that may trigger others or lead to imitation.”
With its policy changes, YouTube is giving its creators a little more freedom in shaping their content. Some YouTubers have so far avoided even saying the word “suicide” for fear of demonetization – that should no longer be a problem from now on.
Google sporadically revises its advertising guidelines for content on YouTube. Most recently, the guidelines were changed in July 2025 to not exclude videos with profanity in the first seven seconds from advertising revenue.
In Germany, you can find help and support for issues of all kinds, including issues with bullying and suicide, at telefonseelsorge.de and by phone at 0800 1110111. The “Nummer gegen Kummer” (Children and Youth Helpline) can be reached at 116 111. In Austria, there are also free support services, including for children, the child emergency number 0800 567 567, and Rat auf Draht at 147. The same phone number in Switzerland leads to Pro Juventute.
(dahe)
