YouTube has opened up a “second chance” program to allow previously banned creators spreading misinformation about COVID and elections to create new channels, after facing pressure from Republican political leaders.
YouTube and its parent company Alphabet have launched a pilot program to allow creators who were previously banned to apply for the opportunity to launch new channels, according to a blog post.
The program, first announced in September, would take into account factors like whether the creator committed “severe or persistent violations” of YouTube’s terms of service, or if their on- or off-platform activity harmed the YouTube community.
The program would not be available for creators who were banned for copyright infringement or for violating YouTube’s Creator Responsibility policies.
In a letter to Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the company said the program would be available to creators who were banned for violating “COVID-19 and elections integrity policies” that are no longer in effect.
The Republican congressman has subpoenaed Alphabet several times, asking for documents that showed whether the company removed content at the request of the Biden administration.
Key Background
YouTube launched a campaign in 2020 to remove videos and ban creators it deemed spread election and vaccine misinformation. The platform also gave strikes to channels spreading misinformation on the 2020 election, suspending President Donald Trump from making new uploads to his channel. In 2023, the platform removed all the restrictions on the president’s account and dropped some of its misinformation policies. In a letter to the House Judiciary Committee, Alphabet’s lawyers claimed the Biden administration pressured the company to remove content relating to COVID-19, even when it did not violate Alphabet’s policies.
Tangent
Alphabet has been dealing with repeated pressure from the Trump administration in the form of antitrust lawsuits from the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission. Last month, YouTube agreed to pay $24.25 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump in 2021 over the ban on his account for “content moderation” decisions surrounding the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, with $22 million going toward the construction of a White House ballroom.
Further Reading