YouTube is trying to soothe concerns about an incoming update to its monetization policies following backlash from online creators. An announcement that YouTube would be updating restrictions around “inauthentic” content under the YouTube Partner Program guidelines was interpreted by some to mean the platform was planning to demonetize a wider variety of videos, including those using AI-generated content, clips, and reactions. “YouTube has always required creators to upload ‘original’ and ‘authentic’ content,” YouTube said in its initial notification about the policy change. “On July 15, 2025, YouTube is updating our guidelines to better identify mass-produced and repetitious content. Ritchie says the new policy language will “help to better identify when content is mass-produced or repetitive,” according to Ritchie.