YouTube to Monetise Shorts for Creators; FTC Probe Amazon-Roomba Bid

by Hannah Dillon on 22nd Sep 2022 in News

In today's ExchangeWire news digest: YouTube announce plans to let creators monetise Shorts; Amazon's bid to acquire iRobot comes under scrutiny; and Twitch impose a soft ban on gambling companies.

YouTube to allow creators to monetise Shorts

In its latest move to promote YouTube Shorts, its TikTok-style short form video feature, YouTube will soon allow Shorts creators to monetise their content on the platform. From early 2023, creators with a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and 10 million Shorts views over a 90-day period will be eligible to apply to YouTube’s revenue-sharing programme.

According to YouTube’s VP of creator products, Amjad Hanif, partners on the programme “will enjoy all the benefits our program offers, including the various ways to make money like ads on long-form and Fan Funding.”

Amazon’s Roomba-maker takeover under FTC investigation

A securities filing has revealed that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating Amazon’s proposal to buy iRobot Corp for USD$1.7bn (£1.4bn).

The FTC has formally requested documents from both Amazon and Roomba-maker iRobot Corp to explain the purpose and rationale behind the acquisition. Amazon has insisted it is not purchasing iRobot with the intention of gathering information from within consumers’ homes. The automated vacuum cleaner collects data on users using cameras, sensors, AI, and machine learning.

Twitch issues soft ban on gambling

Livestreaming platform Twitch has announced it will block videos of gambling sites without a license in the US or "other jurisdictions that provide sufficient consumer protection". Sites impacted by the ban include slots, roulette, and dice games, such as Stake.com, Rollbit.com, Duelbits.com, and Roobet.com.