Monetization Principles: Paving the Way towards Responsible Monetization Governance

 
 
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Monetization Principles: Paving the Way towards Responsible Monetization Governance

Published: February 28, 2025
 
Social media platforms are ramping up their monetization services, redistributing $ billions to content creators and publishers.
Their monetization decisions carry major implications for information integrity. And yet, they are mostly automated, opaque, and subject to no oversight or accountability.

How can we unlock the upside of social media monetization, while mitigating the risks?

 
Over the last few months, we’ve been questioning what responsible monetization governance should entail.
Working with a group of experts from across advertising, publishing, digital rights and business and human rights, we dissected desired outcomes into six concrete asks:

dot Safe by Design

Social media companies should proactively identify, assess, and address any actual or potential adverse impacts of their monetization programs, systems and practices on illegal activity, society, the environment and the company’s own business.

dotResponsible Business Partnerships

Social media companies should ensure that their business partnerships, including their relationships with monetization partners and monetization-related vendors, comply with their legal obligations and commitments to responsible business practices.

dot Fair and predictable Terms and Policies

Social media companies should have terms and policies that are fair and clearly communicate applicable monetization restrictions and the various factors that may impact on monetization payout.

dot Due process and Explainable Enforcement

Social media companies should ensure that their decisions to allow or restrict monetization services follow due process, are justified and duly explained in notices to impacted parties.

dot Adequate Reparations

Social media companies should ensure that errors stemming from their monetization systems, processes and practices are promptly remedied and financial losses adequately compensated.

dot Transparency & Accountability

Social media companies should provide sufficient transparency for advertisers, publishers, shareholders and users to make informed decisions and enforce their rights.
 
Do you make money from social media? Have you been impacted by unfair demonetization? Are you concerned by how platforms finance harmful actors and activity?
We would love your input.
 
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