Updated at 3.35pm with government statement

Maltese YouTubers will be one step closer to earning money for their videos from Thursday, when the social media giant will launch monetisation features on its website for Malta.

Local content creators for the website have long complained that unlike their counterparts in other countries, they are unable to cash in on views on their videos. 

Youtube’s partner programme allows creators to get paid for running adverts on their channels.

MEP Francis Zammit Dimech said he had held meetings with Google in February and was given assurances legal challenges would be overcome.

The monetisation programme will be officially launched later this week, MEP Francis Zammit Dimech said.

Read: Maltese YouTubers to start getting advertising revenue

Dr Zammit Dimech thanked Google for taking the right steps to unlock the YouTube partnership programme for Malta, saying this would be another incentive to content creators.

“As an MEP I have pushed for this to happen and I am glad we have managed to achieve this important result,” Dr Zammit Dimech said.

Dr Zammit Dimech also thanked the PN MP Therese Comodini Cachia who had worked for the policy change during her stint as MEP.

'A Maltese YouTube'

Digital Economy parliamentary secretary Silvio Schembri said that the monetisation platform was the result of talks he had held with Google at the start of last year. 

“I am satisfied that our work with Google bore fruit and now Maltese youths are going to be paid for their art and content produced on YouTube on par with other European youths”, he said. 

The government would be organising an activity in conjunction with YouTube to provide content creators with more information about the partnership programme.