Over the past decade, thousands of Iranians have managed to earn a living by producing high-quality content on YouTube. From education and technology to entertainment, culture, history, and even politics, these creators built large audiences inside Iran. For many, YouTube provided something rare in today’s Iran: financial independence from the state and an alternative to government-controlled television and media.
Iran’s political isolation makes its population economically invisible to global advertising markets.
These channels did more than generate income. They created parallel spaces of information, creativity, and entertainment that operated outside the orbit of state institutions. In a country where employment often depends directly or indirectly upon government structures, this independence mattered—not only economically, but also socially and psychologically. It is impossible to underestimate the political impact of those channels that challenged the state narratives of history and the current political situation. That ecosystem is now under serious threat.
Recently, Iranian content creators have seen a dramatic drop in advertising revenue. Where earnings once were estimated at roughly $3-$8 per 1,000 views, creators now report figures as low as $0.20-$1 per 1,000 views. For many channels, this reduction makes continued production financially unsustainable.
The reason is not declining viewership or content quality. Instead, YouTube appears to have adjusted its advertising and monetization algorithms, under pressure from advertisers who are unwilling to pay for ads shown primarily to audiences in Iran—a market where they cannot sell products because of sanctions and restrictions.
Using increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) systems, YouTube can identify when a channel’s audience is predominantly located in Iran, even when viewers use virtual private networks meant to obscure origins. Once flagged, those channels receive lower-value advertisements or YouTube excludes them from premium advertisement campaigns altogether.
As independent income streams disappear, frustration may grow, pushing more people toward open dissent.
It is hard to blame YouTube for this. YouTube’s business and algorithm model is geared to deliver targeted advertising and most of its revenue depends on advertisers. From the platform’s perspective, refining its ability to identify viewer location allows for more accurate targeting and higher returns for advertisers. In that sense, YouTube is behaving as any profit-driven global platform would and should.
The deeper issue is structural: Iran’s political isolation makes its population economically invisible to global advertising markets. Advertisers cannot sell to Iranian consumers, so they do not want to pay to reach them. The algorithm merely enforces a reality shaped by sanctions and restrictions that have come about because of the regime’s policies. For this reason, most creators place the blame where it belongs: on the Islamic Republic state, whose actions have made it impossible for young, tech-savvy Iranians to fully participate in the global digital economy and enjoy its rewards.
Beyond individual hardship, the monetization collapse may have broader social consequences. Some observers argue that this shift could radicalize what is often described as Iran’s “grey sector”: people who do not support the regime but have remained politically inactive because they were managing to survive economically. As independent income streams disappear, frustration may grow, pushing more people toward open dissent in desperation for a better future.
Others—including many creators themselves—argue that any form of economic independence from state employment is inherently positive, regardless of its political impact. Even if it does not lead to immediate activism, it weakens the state’s monopoly over livelihoods, information, and cultural production. Either way, the erosion of these independent income sources benefits only one actor: the regime.
This episode highlights an often-overlooked reality: Digital platforms are not neutral spaces.
Iranian YouTube creators are facing three difficult options: First, stop creating content altogether, abandoning years of work and accumulated audiences. Second, seek indirect revenue streams, such as sponsorships, donations, or off-platform monetization—options that are unreliable, legally risky, or inaccessible for many; or third, rely on Iranian currency devaluation, hoping that the falling value of the rial compensates for lower dollar earnings.
None of these options preserves YouTube’s original promise to Iranian creators: a platform for independent, merit-based income that freed them from dependence on the state.
This episode highlights an often-overlooked reality: Digital platforms are not neutral spaces. Algorithms reflect economic incentives, political constraints, and global power structures. When those forces intersect with authoritarian states, the result is not only lost revenue but also missed opportunities.
Iranian YouTubers did everything global platforms claim to reward: creativity, consistency, audience engagement, and innovation. Yet their success has once again collided with policies of an outdated regime.
So long as the current ruling regime remains in power and continues its global confrontation policies leading to its current isolation, its most talented individuals will continue to pay the price.
