YouTube will begin demonetizing 'low-quality' kids videos next month

Google has announced a policy change to push YouTube creators to produce and publish higher-quality content for kids. Starting next month, the company will demonetize channels that primarily target young people or market themselves as "made for kids" if the content they upload is of low quality. By YouTube's definition, that can include overly commercial videos and ones that encourage bad behaviors. Per the new guidelines, YouTube warns those videos may see limited or no ads. Additionally, the company says violating its new content guidelines could lead to removal from the YouTube Partner Program.

The move is part of a recent push by Google to make YouTube and YouTube Kids a more appropriate destination for children and their families. At the start of the year, the company announced the availability of expanded parental controls for tweens and teens. More recently, it implemented new safety measures to protect kids across its various platforms. One of those changes saw the company change the default upload setting for users between the ages of 13 and 17 to the most private option available.

"Our ultimate goal is to foster a safe and enriching environment for families while rewarding trusted creators who are making high-quality kids and family content," Google said of this latest policy change. It may take some time before the new guidelines elevate the quality of content on YouTube. So it doesn't hurt to keep an eye out on what your children are watching.