News that YouTube is to drop thousands of small video makers from its ad revenue-sharing program has been met with a sombre reaction online.

Prompted by recent scandals involving offensive videos appearing on the platform, the company announced a series of changes. It includes a pledge to have every video in its “Google Preferred” program approved by a human.

The reforms, designed to improve “compliance with advertiser-friendly guidelines,” also require that posters have 1,000 subscribers and generate 4,000 hours of “watchtime” over a year before they can benefit from ad revenue. The previous threshold was just 10,000 overall views. Google described the new rules as “tough but necessary.”

#YouTube slammed for cutting ad revenue on Vegas fundraiser video https://t.co/I6wrGL9O1E — RT America (@RT_America) October 7, 2017

Some accused YouTube of turning its back on new and smaller creators – the people who critics claim made the video streaming service into what it is today.

So...one of YouTube's biggest stars (Logan Paul) breaks the rules, and thousands of channels just starting out are getting punished? Great business model, YouTube. YouTube has gone Hollywood and turned their backs on those who made YouTube great. #YouTubePartnerProgram — Mark Dice (@MarkDice) January 17, 2018

i only just make the cut for youtube's new rules, but others aren't so luckytalented, hardworking, prolific people are getting ruined because of it, just because they aren't big creatorsi get why they're doing what they are, but it's not helping anyone — Gray (@GrayWhatsit) January 17, 2018

I love how the only people supporting the new YouTube partner rules are huge YouTubers who make more money than all the small channels combined 🤔 — jenna (@jennaclarek) January 18, 2018

The change follows controversy surrounding popular vlogger Logan Paul, who posted footage of his visit to Japan’s Aokigahara forest, a well-known suicide black spot at the foot of Mount Fuji, last week. The video, since pulled from the platform, showed Paul laughing while approaching the body of an apparent suicide victim. Despite being vilified online, experts say Logan may have made up to $96,000 from the video.

READ MORE: ‘Suicide forest’ fallout: Google drops YouTube star Logan Paul

YouTube blogger Kat Blaque expressed dismay at the new rules, saying the lack of controls on profitable personalities ultimately led the company to impose measures that punish those who post inoffensive content.

Youtube is complicated with a lot of moving parts and a lot of people who work there that disagree with the ultimate conclusion of the rules, but at the end of the day, this is where we end up. — Kat Blaque (@kat_blaque) January 17, 2018

I feel like I understand why they did what they did to some degree, but I'd also like to remind Youtube that they're the same website where a video of a person who committed suicide managed to hit the trending page. Maybe views aren't a great measure. — Kat Blaque (@kat_blaque) January 17, 2018

Many small video bloggers, just shy of the 1,000-subscriber threshold, are now appealing for followers, with some offering to promote channels to help them over the qualifying line.

If you are affected by the new YouTube rules either through subscriber or viewing hour numbers or both, leave me your link and I WILL SHOUTOUT YOUR CHANNEL in a video at the weekend. Love you lots 😊💛 RT so I get as many of you as possible! — Alex 💛📚✨ (@justsomealexkid) January 17, 2018

After hearing about the new rules YouTube has put on small influencers, Iets start a subscribe thread. Let’s make it epic and help them get more subscribers 🎬-Youtubers put your links below-RT this and share it -Subscribe, watch, and support ❤️ — April 🌛 (@travellinwander) January 17, 2018

The changes to YouTube will be introduced immediately, with a new “three-tier suitability system” coming into effect in the next few months. The new scheme aims to give marketers more control over where they place their ads.