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Under the latest monetisation guidelines, YouTube has offered new examples to clarify what constitutes ‘inauthentic content’.
YouTube has clarified that there is no new policy, but rather a linguistic refinement aimed at improving clarity for creators.
YouTube Monetisation Policy 2025: YouTube has clarified an update to its monetisation guidelines under the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), which took effect from July 15, 2025. The platform has clarified that this is not a new policy, but rather a linguistic refinement aimed at improving clarity for creators.
What’s Changing?
The primary change involves renaming the existing guideline on “repetitious content” to “inauthentic content”. According to YouTube, the new term better reflects the platform’s longstanding position on mass-produced, low-value, or overly repetitive content, which has always been ineligible for monetisation.
“We regularly update and evolve our policies based on the content on YouTube,” the company said in a statement. “This update is to clarify that this policy includes content that is mass-produced or repetitive.”
Renee Richie, YouTube’s creator liaison, addressed concerns in a video update saying, “If you’re seeing posts about a July 2025 update to the YouTube Partner Program monetisation policies and you’re concerned it’ll affect your reaction or clips or other type of channel. This is a minor update to YouTube’s long-standing YPP policies to help better identify when content is mass-produced or repetitive.”
No new policy is being introduced.
What Does “Inauthentic Content” Mean?
YouTube has offered new examples to clarify what constitutes inauthentic content, including:
- Narrated stories with only minor changes between videos
- Slideshows or compilations using identical narration or visuals
- Content perceived as spammy, repetitive, or low-effort by viewers
These forms of content are likely to be deemed inauthentic and ineligible for ad revenue under the YouTube Partner Program.
What About AI-Generated Content?
One of the most asked questions relates to the status of AI-generated videos. YouTube confirmed that AI-generated content remains eligible for monetisation, provided that it is original, authentic, transparent, and creators comply with YouTube’s synthetic content disclosure requirements.
So, AI can still be a powerful tool for creators — as long as it is used responsibly and creatively.
What Remains the Same?
Key rules under the YouTube Partner Program are unchanged:
- Channels must have 1,000 subscribers and either
- 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months, or
- 10 million valid Shorts views in the last 90 days
Also unchanged is the treatment of reused content:
Creators can continue monetising reaction videos, tutorials, compilations, and commentary if they add meaningful, original value — whether through analysis, education, or entertainment.
Why It Matters
YouTube’s latest clarification aims to strengthen the platform’s emphasis on originality, discourage low-effort mass production, and provide more transparency to new and existing creators. It comes amid a broader push to address the growing use of generative AI and uphold the integrity of monetised content.
Haris is Deputy News Editor (Business) at news18.com. He writes on various issues related to personal finance, markets, economy and companies. Having over a decade of experience in financial journalism, Haris h…Read More
Haris is Deputy News Editor (Business) at news18.com. He writes on various issues related to personal finance, markets, economy and companies. Having over a decade of experience in financial journalism, Haris h… Read More
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