Zerkaa explains why YouTube is “age-gating” Sidemen videos

In a recent Twitch stream, Josh "Zerkaa" revealed that many of Sidemen's older videos were getting "age-gated" by YouTube. For those who are unfamiliar with the word, age-gating simply refers to age restrictions. A YouTube video usually gets age-restricted if it contains segments that aren't suitable for viewers under the age of 18.

Zerkaa stated that YouTube was doing this due to the use of profane language in many of Sidemen's older videos. Age restrictions can significantly impact the revenue earned from a video since an age-gated video could get partly or completely demonetized. Josh also revealed that any swear words in the group's upcoming YouTube videos would have to be completely censored for this reason.

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"It's for the advertisers" - Zerkaa gives his take on videos getting age-restricted

Zerkaa opened up about YouTube's policies regarding age restrictions in a recent stream. He revealed that many of Sidemen's older videos were getting age restricted due to the presence of curse words. Josh stated:

"I think YouTube is clamping down on a lot of stuff. I've seen like loads of videos get age-gated. Even like Sidemen stuff has been age-gated. Random videos from four years ago are getting age-gated."

Speaking about the use of profane language, he said:

"The word has not to be there at all. Right? It has to be like, you have to fully hit 'em with the (censor beep). You can't actually swear."

(Timestamp: 00:23:06)

Age restrictions can negatively impact revenue generation. Here's what Zerkaa had to say about it:

"You'll get limited monetization, and you have to be 18 to watch it. You'll get a warning before a video... it literally kills off views."

When asked why the videos were getting age-restricted, Josh mentioned that many advertisers prefer family-friendly content, so this incentivizes the platform to impose age restrictions. He added:

"It's for advertisers. So ultimately it benefits us. So you can't complain realistically, like it puts money in our pockets."

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"Old youtube was kind of better" - Fans react to Zerkaa's take on the situation

Fans shared their opinions regarding age restrictions on YouTube videos. Many stated that they preferred the older policies of YouTube, which were more tolerant. Here are some reactions:

Fans give their take on the situation (Image via ZerkaaShorts/YouTube)

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Sidemen is one of the biggest channels in the UK, so age restrictions on older videos are less damaging to the group due to them having many different revenue streams.