Never worry, still allow reaction videos according to YouTube’s new “unreal content” policy

YouTube has clarified the rules about duplicate content, and your favorite reaction video channel will not be affected. The platform said earlier this month that it would change its monetization rules to address AI-generated materials, but did not include many details, which alerted many people that reaction videos could be swept by new rules. The company now provides some adjustments and clearer descriptions in its guide to channel monetization policies.

For beginners, the rule has been renamed to the “Unreal Content” policy. “This type of content never qualifies as monetization under our existing policies, where creators are rewarded for original and authentic content,” attached to a note from the states. “Nothing has changed in our reused content policy, which reviews content like comments, editing, compilation and reaction videos.”

YouTube provides examples of materials that are considered mass-produced or over-repeated and therefore are not eligible to be monetized. Unreal content includes “exclusive readings of other materials that you did not initially create, such as text from a website or news feed” or “image slideshows or scroll text with minimal or no narrative, commentary or educational value”. The company also shared examples of reused content. YouTube says these beloved channels of reaction and videos containing clips for analysis, review or comment are not affected by the new rules. Taboos of reused content rules may include “content uploaded by other creators multiple times” or “content downloaded or copied from another online source without any substantial modification”.