YouTube's changes to monetization didn't come out of nowhere - they were a response to the adpocalypse of 2017, when as much as 40% of advertisers stopped using

YouTube's changes to monetization didn't come out of nowhere - they were a response to the adpocalypse of 2017, when as much as 40% of advertisers stopped using the platform. These advertisers (perfectly reasonably) feared a backlash if their ads appeared next to the wrong sort of videos, so they just pulled their money. There was an outcry by YouTube content creators, so YouTube took sensible and proportionate steps to make the platform more attractive to advertisers without stifling free speech. Savvy YouTubers (especially those who produce content that could be perceived as controversial) have taken control of their own revenues through sponsorship and patronage. YouTube doesn't have a business model problem - YouTubers do. You can't expect a platform to sell such vast amounts of ad inventory while also judging each piece of content in a nuanced fashion. That's the devil's bargain of algorithmic advertising and it isn't going away. If you don't like that bargain, sell your own damned inventory, or cut advertisers out of the loop completely and ask your viewers to make a direct contribution.