Content demonetisation and creators' participation: Study of YouTube's first Adpocalypse

Maria Rasskazova ()
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Maria Rasskazova: ACT - Analyse des Crises et Transitions - LABEX ICCA - UP13 - Université Paris 13 - Université Sorbonne Nouvelle - Paris 3 - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UPCité - Université Paris Cité - Université Sorbonne Paris Nord - Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, inIdEx ICCA

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Abstract: Platforms may implement diverse incentives and rules to attract users and shape their interactions. We study how the introduction of a broader demonetisation rule as a moderation action, by platform owners affects content providers' behaviour in a multisided market. We explore the consequences of the first advertiser boycott of YouTube that occurred in February and March 2017 and that led to the first platform-wide moderation changes. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we note a 10% decrease in the weekly content supply of affected creators. The intensity of the decrease varies across creators' audience sizes (1-12% decline in weekly publications) and their main video categories (8-12% drop in weekly uploads). The implementation of such policy may demotivate producers to participate, as 3.3% of sample creators became inactive between March and October 2017. These findings highlight the limits of a uniform moderation policy as platform governance design, on complementors' participation.

Keywords: YouTube; content creators; demonetisation; content moderation; Platform governance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-05-20
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Published in Munich Summer Institute Doctoral Workshop, May 2026, Munich, Germany

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05627641

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