YouTube has suspended Sen. Ron Johnson for one week after the company announced the politician violated its COVID-19 “medical misinformation policies.”
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports the digital platform that Johnson had his account suspended due to comments the senator made during a June 3 Milwaukee Press Club event, which got uploaded to YouTube.
Johnson scrutinized the Trump and Biden administrations for “not only ignoring but working against robust research (on) the use of cheap, generic drugs to be repurposed for early treatment of COVID.”
“We removed the video in accordance with our COVID-19 medical misinformation policies, which don’t allow content that encourages people to use Hydroxychloroquine or Ivermectin to treat or prevent the virus,” a YouTube spokesperson said.
YouTube’s policy states it doesn’t permit content that spreads medical misinformation opposing local health authorities or the World Health Organization’s information regarding COVID-19. Nonetheless, the company’s decision didn’t sit well with Johnson.
“YouTube’s ongoing COVID censorship proves they have accumulated too much unaccountable power,” Johnson said in a statement.
“Big Tech and mainstream media believe they are smarter than medical doctors who have devoted their lives to science and use their skills to save lives. They have decided there is only one medical viewpoint allowed, and it is the viewpoint dictated by government agencies.”
Johnson is one of many to see their YouTube accounts suspended due to spreading COVID-19 misinformation. In the last year, channels such as those from One America News have received a suspension.
Eduardo Razo is the Assistant Content Editor for BNM, which includes writing daily news stories on the news media industry. He can be found on Twitter @eddierazo_ or you can reach him by email at eddie1991razo@gmail.com.
