Last YouTube ban caused Pakistanis an estimated loss of Rs. 9 bn; a new ban could be even worse

The Supreme Court hinted at another YouTube ban a day ago, completely dismissing the fact that the last three year ban caused an approximate loss of Rs. 1.4 billion in revenues. The people of Pakistan are not happy with the news, as YouTube is not only a source of entertainment for people, but also creates employment opportunities for thousands.

How do you earn through YouTube?

The earning you can make through YouTube depends on several factors like your geographical location, subject matter of your content and lastly, the source of traffic on your video. The income you make increases with viewership from countries like Canda, US, UK, Australia.

Similarly, the content on your video will determine the kind of Ad that is viewed on your video. Ads are a major source of income through YouTube. If your content is among the most searched keywords, good ADs will make you more money. The ads on YouTube videos sell on an auction basis. The highest bidder gets the best video spots. 

Last but not the least, if someone tries to access your channel/video by searching through YouTube, your income will be greater rather than someone accessing your video through a social media suggestion.

How much can you make on YouTube?

YouTube uses stats and formulae to determine the kind of money you can make. CPM is a keystone of measurements and a foundation for further tests and conclusions. YouTube CPM is an abbreviation for Cost per Mille, where “mille” stands for a thousand views. Thus, you are paid each time when your ad reaches this mark. The more views the ad gets, the more money you earn. 

Although advertising rates vary, the average advertiser pays $7.60 gross per 1,000 views. Most advertisers pay a CPM of between $4 and $10. In some cases, the CPM can be as low as $0.10.

This also depends on your audience, rates for CPM vary from region to region. The rate of CPM  for Australia is $7, USA $4 and Pakistan $2.

Read also: Actors, politicians alike denounce the idea of another YouTube ban

Should Pakistan ban YouTube?

YouTube was blocked in Pakistan for three years in 2012 after the posting of an inflammatory video, Innocence of Muslims, sparked violent protests across the Muslim world. In 2016, Pakistan announced that it was restoring YouTube access in the country, after Google created a Pakistan-specific version of its video platform that allows authorities to censor content on the site.

In those three years, Pakistan lost Rs. 900 million in revenues as income of users was effected. Successful YouTubers in Pakistan make around $2,500 per month, which would have been almost Rs. 250,000/month between 2012-2016. Taking an average income of 250,000/month, a 1000 Pakistanis lost a total of Rs. 9 billion in income in three years.

In today’s exchange rate, the income comes down to almost Rs400,000/month. If Pakistan puts another ban on YouTube, in a year 1000 YouTubers would lose approximately Rs. 4.8 billion. Banning YouTube can leave many people unemployed and those with no other sources of income will suffer massively.

A ban on YouTube can permanently hamper the technological advancement in the country, other than leaving thousands jobless. The focus should be on proper filtering and safety measures rather than a ban.