YouTube has announced plans to reverse any bans the platform had previously instituted for political speech and will allow those creators to return in the following weeks.
In a letter to the House Judiciary Committee, the digital video platform pledged to reinstate any creator who ran afoul of the previous guidelines surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic or the validity of the 2020 election.
“(YouTube) terminated channels for repeatedly violating its Community Guidelines on elections integrity content through 2023 and COVID-19 content through 2024,” the company said in a letter to the committee. “Today, YouTube’s Community Guidelines allow for a wider range of content regarding COVID-19 and elections integrity. Reflecting the Company’s commitment to free expression, YouTube will provide an opportunity for all creators to rejoin the platform if the Company terminated their channels for repeated violations of COVID-19 and elections integrity policies that are no longer in effect.
“YouTube values conservative voices on its platform and recognizes that these creators have extensive reach and play an important role in civic discourse. The Company recognizes these creators are among those shaping today’s online consumption, landing ‘must-watch’ interviews, giving viewers the chance to hear directly from politicians, celebrities, business leaders, and more,” it concluded.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), the committee chairman, shared that YouTube also pledged not to utilize third-party fact-checkers for content uploaded to the platform.
“YouTube has not and will not empower fact-checkers to take action on or label content across the Company’s services,” the platform said in the letter.
“All of the above are massive wins for the American people, the First Amendment, and freedom,” Jordan shared. “We won’t stop fighting to protect free speech.”
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