YouTube to Reinstate Creators Banned for 2020 Election, COVID Misinformation; Alleges Biden Admin Pressure

YouTube is set to reinstate creators previously banned for violating now-retired content policies, including those related to misinformation about the 2020 U.S. presidential election and COVID-19. This significant policy shift was revealed in a “statement of facts” from Alphabet, YouTube’s parent company, submitted to the House Judiciary Committee in response to subpoenas.

The letter, dated September 23, disclosed that YouTube will offer all eligible creators an opportunity to rejoin the platform if their channels were terminated under these deprecated policies. This move, which includes a limited pilot project set to launch in the coming weeks, underscores YouTube’s commitment to free expression and its recognition of the important role conservative voices play in civic discourse.

Adding a controversial layer to the announcement, Alphabet’s legal counsel alleged that senior Biden administration officials exerted “repeated and sustained outreach” and pressure on the company to remove user-generated content related to the COVID-19 pandemic, even when it did not violate YouTube’s existing policies. The letter stated, “It is unacceptable and wrong when any government, including the Biden Administration, attempts to dictate how the Company moderates content, and the Company has consistently fought against those efforts on First Amendment grounds.”

This reinstatement program builds on previous policy adjustments by YouTube, which reversed its ban on videos falsely claiming widespread fraud in the 2020 election in June 2023, and fully retired its COVID-19 misinformation policy in December 2024 to allow broader discussion of various treatments. YouTube emphasized that it will continue to enable free expression, especially on issues subject to political debate, and reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to fighting political pressure on content moderation.

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