YouTube Reverses Policy on Censoring Claims of Stolen 2020 Election

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

YouTube has announced it’s doing a U-turn on censoring content about U.S. elections, with the platform saying it will no longer delete posts questioning the results of the 2020 presidential election, including claims of widespread voter fraud.

The company made the announcement in a blog post on Friday, which comes about two months after it reinstated former President Donald Trump’s YouTube account.

Trump’s account on YouTube was suspended in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol breach, which came as the former president alleged that the 2020 election had been stolen.

YouTube established its “elections misinformation” policy in December 2020, and on Friday said that in the time since it was imposed, the company had removed tens of thousands of videos.

“We carefully deliberated this change,” YouTube said, citing a “changed landscape” in which the 2024 election campaign is in full swing and that removing election-related content could stifle political speech.

“In the current environment, we find that while removing this content does curb some misinformation, it could also have the unintended effect of curtailing political speech without meaningfully reducing the risk of violence or other real-world harm,” the company said.

YouTube pledged that, starting Friday, it will stop removing content that advances claims that “widespread fraud, errors, or glitches occurred in the 2020 and other past US Presidential elections.”

Still, removing content under the elections misinformation policy was just one way in which YouTube has sought to shape political discussions, with other pieces of its content moderation machine remaining intact.

“We are ensuring that when people come to YouTube looking for news and information about elections, they see content from authoritative sources prominently in search and recommendations,” the company said, noting that this is one aspect of its content policy that isn’t changing.

Also remaining unchanged are the broader outlines of YouTube’s election misinformation policy, with the company saying it will continue to remove content that misleads voters about the time, place, means, or eligibility requirements for voting.

YouTube will continue to crack down on “false claims that could materially discourage voting, including those disputing the validity of voting by mail,” as well as on content that calls on people to “interfere with democratic processes.”

A further caveat is that the policy could change as the 2024 election cycle unfolds.

“We’ll remain vigilant as the election unfolds, as we did in 2020, and again in 2022,” YouTube said. “And we have an elections-focused team, including members of our Intelligence Desk, Trust & Safety and product teams, monitoring real-time developments and making adjustments to our strategy as needed.”

YouTube and other social media platforms have been accused of political bias by conservatives and have faced criticism for restricting free speech.

By Tom Ozimek

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

If Federal Food Assistance Programs End, Theft Begins

Many patriotic Americans well versed in American History have...

Tucker EN FUEGO: Taking Stock of MAGA, Ten Years on

Draining of the Swamp has yet to come anything close to fruition, as the creatures that populate said Swamp yet cling bitterly to power.

Tylenol’s Headache

When President Trump, RFK Jr., and Dr. Mehmet Oz called for pregnant women to avoid using acetaminophen, Tylenol got the headache.

American Restaurants Are Going Broke

U.S. restaurant bankruptcies surged to 22% in 2020 amid COVID-19 and stayed elevated at 14% last year due to Biden’s “Build Back Better” policy.

A Few Fun Alternatives to the”Gory Stuff” at Halloween

Halloween has gone off the rails with gore through the decades.  But there are ways to enjoy the "scary stuff" without giving into darker, pagan alliances.  

US Sending Carrier Strike Group to Latin America, Pentagon Says

The Pentagon on Friday announced the deployment of an aircraft carrier to Latin America to target drug trafficking organizations.

Garland, Wray Among Officials Who Signed Off on ‘Arctic Frost’ Probe Targeting Conservatives

Former AG Garland and ex-FBI Director Wray approved the “Arctic Frost” probe targeting top conservatives, Senate records reveal.

FBI Confirms 10 Missing Children, Teens Rescued in Hawaii Joint Operation

State and federal authorities announced on Thursday that an operation in Hawaii resulted in the rescue of 10 missing children and teens earlier this month.

New York AG Letitia James Pleads Not Guilty to Mortgage Fraud Charges

New York Attorney General Letitia James pleaded not guilty to mortgage fraud charges during an Oct. 24 arraignment in Norfolk, Virginia.

Trump Pardons Convicted Binance Founder Changpeng Zhao, White House Confirms

Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, convicted of money laundering two years ago while leading the global cryptocurrency exchange.

Trump Calls off Meeting With Putin, White House Says

White House says Secretary Rubio and Russia’s Lavrov had a productive call; no further meetings or Trump-Putin talks are planned soon.

President Signs Rare Earth Agreement With Australia’s PM

President Trump hosted Australian PM Albanese at the White House, where both leaders signed a new agreement on rare earth mineral cooperation.

Trump Says Insurrection Act Is ‘Strongest Power a President Has’

President Trump detailed plans to invoke the Insurrection Act to address rampant crime, calling it the “strongest power a president has.”
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central