YouTube Clarifies Changes to Monetization Rules Around Inauthentic Content

After announcing a change to its monetization guidelines to disincentivize the posting of duplicate content, YouTube has now been forced to explain the change in more detail, as creators speculate on the potential impacts of the update.

As you may be aware, YouTube recently announced an update to its enforcement of “mass-produced” content, with improved detection measures now coming into effect.

As per YouTube:

“In order to monetize as part of the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), YouTube has always required creators to upload ‘original’ and ‘authentic’ content. On July 15, 2025, YouTube is updating our guidelines to better identify mass-produced and repetitious content. This update better reflects what ‘inauthentic’ content looks like today.”

So, here, it seems to suggest that YouTube is looking to enforce AI-generated rip-offs, and emerging processes in replicating content, though YouTube specifically says that the type of content it’s aiming to crack down on is:

“Channels that upload narrative stories with only superficial differences between them [and] channels that upload slideshows that all have the same narration.”

So, as it sounds, repetitive content, replicating almost exactly other videos already posted to the app with no significant change.

Seems pretty straightforward, and nothing major to worry about.

Indeed, YouTube has further explained that this is a “minor update” to its longstanding YPP policies, in order to help better identify when content is mass-produced or repetitive.

Yet, even so, speculation about the potential impacts, and what exactly “mass-produced” and “repetitive” means in this context, is running rife among creator communities.

In response, YouTube has now shared further detail on the exact nature of the update, and what types of content will and won’t be impacted as a result.

As explained by YouTube’s Creator Liaison Rene Ritchie, the main change is that “repetitious” content is being renamed “inauthentic” content in order to clarify that the policy includes content that’s mass-produced or repetitive.

The change does not impact re-used content, so you can still post content from other platforms, or re-post videos on YouTube, and it will remain eligible for monetization.

“All of [this type of content] can continue to be monetized if you’ve added significant original commentary, modifications, or educational or entertainment value to the original video.”

The change also doesn’t specifically relate to AI-generated content:

“YouTube welcomes creators using AI tools to enhance storytelling, and channels that use AI in their content remain eligible for monetization. YouTube provides AI tools to creators, including autodubbing, Dreamscreen, and more. Channels still have to follow YouTube’s monetization policies, and creators are required to disclose when their realistic content is altered or synthetic.”

But again, AI-generated content is also not the specific focus of this update, though it is worth noting that YouTube has been cracking down on channels that post fake, AI-generated movie trailers of late.

So there has seemingly been some action on IP-violating AI content, and YouTube hasn’t provided a heap of detail on a change in policy on that front as yet.

But this update isn’t it, and YouTube’s keen to reiterate that the impact of this change will be minor, and is only focused on combating those who re-post exact replicas of existing content.

Hopefully that helps to clarify the update.