Not "Commercially Viable" YouTube Accounts May Get Deleted Soon

Google can now terminate YouTube accounts that are not “commercially viable.”

Last week, YouTube sent emails to its users, notifying them of an update in the site’s term of service. According to the video streaming giant, the summary is designed to help platform users understand some critical updates of YouTube’s terms.

It covers sections that range from “Use of the Service” to “Content and Conduct.” However, a part of the document that has content creators freaking out is the “Account Suspension and Termination.”

Under the subheader “Termination by YouTube for Service Changes,” the YouTube wrote:

“YouTube may terminate your access, or your Google account’s access to all or part of the Service if YouTube believes, in its sole discretion, that provision of the Service to you is no longer commercially viable.”

The vague use of the word “commercially viable” seems to have confused the platform users.

What it Means to Have “Commercially Viable” YouTube Accounts

There are tons of speculations on what it means to have a “commercially viable” YouTube account.

It suggests that the platform can terminate the account of creators whose videos or live streams aren’t generating ad revenue. However, since the keyword here is “YouTube account,” and not “content creator account,” viewers may not be in the clear.

So, users that view lots of content on YouTube without monetizing can have their accounts removed too.

But, we could also read the updated terms from a positive perspective.

Recently, YouTube has been cracking down on content with hate speech. By introducing the “commercial viability” term, the platform may be giving itself the ability to terminate accounts that create hate content.

Also, note that the document says that YouTube can terminate your Google account as well. Along with the YouTube account, you could also lose your Documents, Gmail, and Google Photos.