• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, June 3, 2023

Advertisers may wonder how the reversal of YouTube's decision to take down content that advances false claims that widespread fraud, errors or glitches occurred in the 2020 or other elections will impact ad-placement decisions.

The change, which YouTube announced Friday, will not impact its advertising policies or YouTube monetization policies.

The policy does not change YouTube's other rules regarding misinformation or other types of content -- including elections, hate speech, harassment, and incitement to violence.

Advertisers must continue to follow YouTube’s advertising policies, which prohibit making claims that are demonstrably false and could significantly undermine participation or trust in an electoral or democratic process — for example, information about 2020 U.S. presidential election results that contradicts official government records. 

The company said it has set a “higher bar for what can make money on YouTube and will also continue to prohibit ads from appearing on YouTube content that promotes these claims.”

On Friday, the company said the ability to openly debate political ideas — even controversial ones, or those based on disproved assumptions — is vital to a functioning democratic society, especially in the midst of election season.