YouTube has been known for demonetizing content creators for mentioning certain topics that they’ve blacklisted from being discussed. The latest topic to get hit with demonetization is coronavirus.

ReclaimTheNet is reporting that Linus Sebastian has mentioned that his latest videos have been demonetized when mentioning coronavirus. Linus explained in a recent stream…

“We had a recent episode of TechLinked where we discussed the ongoing health problem in the world. And we got a yellow dollar sign, instead of a green one – which meant limited advertising.”

 

“I have a video coming out tomorrow on the Linus Tech Tips channel where I’m going to be discussing what I think are going to be the effects on pricing and availability of computer hardware, due to the manufacturing shutdowns. And I end up tiptoeing around naming the issue that’s going on because if I talk about it directly I’m afraid that my video’s going to get demonetized. That seems absurd”

YouTube usually takes such actions to deter other content creators from covering a topic, since if there’s no money to be made on making videos about the topic they’re unlikely to keep covering it.

However, given the fact that the coronavirus is affecting production and supply chains, it’s also impacting availability of some products, and this is something that makes it impossible for people like Linus to ignore, so he’s going to have to talk around it in euphemisms.

Unfortunately Linus is still of the mind that this is an advertising issue and not a speech issue, saying…

“I can see how if I’m an advertiser or I’m the YouTube platform, I don’t want everyone and their dog jumping on to the latest viral spread, or the latest mass shooting or the latest genocide or whatever,”

WRONG.

The mainstream news outlets cover the latest shooting, genocide, and viral spread all day long and still have the exact same advertisers – that YouTube claims can no longer appear on creator videos – pop up in spots on national network and cable TV.

But instead of being honest and truthful in the manner, Linus is instead misinforming his viewers with a line that doesn’t even hold up under scrutiny, because if it did then the ABC Nightly News, Nightline, Dateline, the Washington Post, Fox News, the New York Times, or Buzzfeed wouldn’t be writing about, talking about, or discussing the topic.