[dragonwriter]

> Doesn't Google have millions of dollars in cash on hand.

Well, millions with a “b”.

> Perhaps it could pay YouTube content creators.

It...does.

> What consumers might become aware of during lockdown is that the internet, including the web, still continuses to work without any online ads.

It doesn't work without a revenue stream for the online service providers, whether that's ads (regular, “free” YouTube) or membership fees (YouTube Premium).