YouTube rejects Catholic Health Australia’s frontline heroes thank you videos for ‘profiting from’ and ‘exploiting’ sensitive events
A not-for-profit health care organisation’s series of heartwarming videos thanking frontline COVID-19 workers during the pandemic have been rejected by YouTube. Here’s the bizarre reason why.
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A series of heartwarming videos thanking frontline COVID-19 heroes during the pandemic have been rejected by YouTube.
The three videos, uploaded by Catholic Health Australia, personally thanks frontline nurses, physiotherapists, and even caterers and cleaners, for their efforts during the height of Melbourne’s second wave.
CHA communications director Julian Lee uploaded the three videos to YouTube earlier this month, but was met with rejection when trying to pay to boost one of the videos as YouTube considered it “to potentially profit from or exploit a sensitive event.”
“We really wanted to put them on YouTube so they could land in Melburnians social media feeds,” Mr Lee said.
“They could live organically on YouTube but we wanted to put some money behind it to promote them.”
Mr Lee uploaded the first of three videos, a 30 second clip, but was rejected when he tried to boost the post.
“Reading between the lines, the message said we cannot put ads on YouTube to capitalise on the misery of others,” he said.
Mr Lee said paying to boost the posts wouldn’t result in any financial gain for the non-for-profit health organisation, rather he was hoping more people would see the videos.
When he tried to dispute the matter, by clicking an automated button on the website, Mr Lee was told by YouTube his ‘campaign had ended’ and wouldn’t provide further opportunity to dispute.
“I’m really disappointed and very sad, as that all we wanted to do was thank our staff who are working for our members,” he said.
“It was really difficult to hear that we have been denied.”
Mr Lee has been unable to find an alternate way to dispute the rejection with YouTube, as he’s been unable to find a phone number or email for the global tech company in Australia.
“I’d like to know what is the process by which content like ours evaluated, and then rejected,” he said.
“You cant find a phone number to call anyone in Australia and have them explain this to you.”
Mr Lee said he’d upload the videos to Facebook, and try to boost those posts, but feared he’d be met by the same rejection.
All three videos remain on YouTube and have not been removed from the social media platform, rather they were rejected to receive paid ‘boosting’.
Social media users can pay to promote or boost their content on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram so it appears in more people’s feeds.
Organic or un-boosted, social media content is less likely to be seen by many people outside that users ‘friends’ list.
YouTube, which is owned by Google, explains the type of content not allowed on its social media platforms on its website.
“Ads that potentially profit from or exploit a sensitive event with significant social, cultural or political impact, such as civil emergencies, natural disasters, public health emergencies, terrorism and related activities, conflict or mass acts of violence.”
Some examples include: “Appearing to profit from a tragic event with no discernible benefit to users; price gouging or artificially inflating prices that prohibits/restricts access to vital supplies; sale of products or services which may be insufficient for the demand during a sensitive event; using keywords related to a sensitive event to attempt to drive additional traffic.”
Google has been contacted for comment.
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