> and which youtube doesn't really have power over.
I can’t be certain but I remember sponsorships and other monetization methods being against the rules from 2005 to around 2010. Everything had to be done through the official affiliate program (YouTube Partners, I think they called it), which required an application and a large number of views and subscribers. I don’t remember seeing sponsored segments regularly until well after 2013. Sponsorblock already crowdsources this information. It wouldn’t be a technical hurdle to require uploaders to demarcate sponsored segments.
Sponsorships (unless demarcated "includes paid promotion") and IRs are still against the rules today.
> Sponsorships (unless demarcated "includes paid promotion")
I believe this policy came about due to FTC legislation that came into effect some time in the late 2010s or early 2020s. There was definitely a period in the 2010s when YouTube allowed sponsorships without the need to disclose them, or at least wasn't enforcing any policies they had against it.
> IRs are still against the rules today.
What does IR stand for?
interaction reminder
Ahh but literally everone does that? Even ethical youtubers do it "Ring the bell, subscribe and like".