YouTube has announced a major change to its Partner Program, noting that ads will only be served through partners that have at least 10 000 lifetime views.

The changes, announced on the YouTube Creator Blog, stems from original content from certain creators that were simply reuploaded by other users in order to earn revenue.

YouTube has provided a reporting tool to deal with channels that are impersonating other channels, whether through a similar profile, background or text, but the new regulation further enhances the video streaming service’s commitment to original content providers.

In the next few weeks an extra step will be taken – apart from the 10 000 views threshold, there will also be a review of the new channel’s activities against YouTube policies.     

Although protecting hard working content creators is the reason YouTube highlighted, the measures should also help with the recent advertising controversy. Big brand advertisers pulled ads from YouTube after it emerged that they were served on videos featuring terrorist propaganda, hate speech and racism. YouTube then expanded its safeguards to help protect advertisers, with this new step also helping to ensure new, possibly offensive channels does not immediately benefit from advertising.