Months after implementing additional context features on videos related to the effectiveness of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), YouTube has initiated restrictions on the monetization of certain content, indicating that creators will not receive their share of advertising revenue from such videos, reports The Indian Express.
At least two creators, Mehgnad and independent journalist Sohit Mishra, recently received notifications from YouTube regarding limitations placed on the monetization of their videos discussing EVMs and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines. Citing advertiser-friendly guidelines, the platform stated that videos containing demonstrably false information are ineligible for ad revenue.
Mishra, whose YouTube channel “Sohit Mishra Official” has over 3.68 lakh subscribers, disclosed that four of his EVM-related videos were subjected to “limited monetization”. Subsequently, monetization was reinstated for only one video following Mishra’s request for review.
Similarly, Mehgnad’s earnings from advertisements were curtailed for four of his live-stream videos. Each video, spanning two to three hours, features Mehgnad addressing audience queries on EVMs, providing updates on the Supreme Court’s deliberations on 100% VVPAT counting, and discussing electoral bonds, among other topics. “I have applied for review and am yet to get a response. I have no clarity as to why this has happened,” he said, as quoted by IE.
According to YouTube, advertisements on Mishra’s and Mehgnad’s videos were blocked due to violations of advertiser guidelines. These infractions include promoting demonstrably false information about public voting procedures, political candidate eligibility criteria, election outcomes, and Census participation, contrary to official government records, IE reported, citing sources.
Among Mishra’s affected videos is a discussion featuring a software expert, a senior journalist, a political leader, and another creator, lasting over an hour and titled “Questions over the EVM, one-sided Election Commission, and a weak democracy”. Uploaded on March 8, the video amassed over 94,000 views as of Friday.
Another impacted video, titled “Will there be free and fair elections in India?”, uploaded on March 25, garnered over 40,000 views. In this video, Mishra raises concerns about the fairness of elections amidst actions taken by central agencies against opposition figures and unaddressed issues regarding EVMs.
Furthermore, Mishra’s third affected video discusses BJP members appointed as independent directors of Bharat Electronics Ltd, a PSU manufacturing EVMs. The video, uploaded on January 30 with over 1.5 lakh views, highlights a letter from retired IAS officer E A S Sarma urging the Election Commission to intervene in the matter.
Mishra emphasized that during a period when the Supreme Court had issued notice regarding 100% counting of VVPAT slips, YouTube’s decision to limit monetization on videos discussing EVMs and VVPATs could deter creators from producing such content.