Google, which owns YouTube, is inviting back creators it kicked off the platform for content about politics, elections, and COVID. Google says the Biden administration pressured them to censor this content, and now Europe is trying to force them to censor lawful content. Jim Jordan, Representative from Ohio, explains on X. Thread here.
.jpg) |
| Created with AI on ImageFX. |
YouTube creators banned or suspended for COVID content (source: Grok). Click to enlarge.
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
Rep. Jim Jordan
@Jim_Jordan
2h • 15 tweets • 6 min read • Read on X
🚨BREAKING: Due to our oversight efforts, GOOGLE commits to offer ALL creators previously kicked off YouTube due to political speech violations to return to the platform.
BUT THAT’S NOT ALL.
Thread:
YouTube also:
-Admits the Biden Admin censorship pressure was “unacceptable and wrong”
-Confirms that the Biden Admin wanted Americans censored for speech that did not violate YouTube’s policies
-Details when YouTube began rolling back its censorship policies on political speech after @JudiciaryGOP began its investigation
-States that public debate should NEVER come at the expense of relying on “authorities”
-Promises to NEVER use third-party “fact-checkers”
-Warns that Europe’s censorship laws target AMERICAN companies and threaten AMERICAN speech
Over the past few years, we have uncovered massive scandals relating to Big Tech censorship.
During the Biden-Harris years, under White House pressure, YouTube changed its policies to censor political debate on COVID and elections.
TODAY, YouTube admits that the censorship pressure from Biden Admin was “unacceptable and wrong.”
Now, to make amends to the American people, and because of our work, YouTube is rolling back its censorship policies on political speech, including topics such as COVID and elections.
What does that mean?
Whether you were an established YouTube presence with a massive following like @dbongino or just were starting out to express political views there, YOU will have an opportunity to come back onto the platform if you were censored for engaging in political speech.
This is another victory in the fight against censorship.
In Aug 2024, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote the Committee a letter admitting:
1. Biden Admin “pressured” Facebook to censor Americans.
2. Facebook censored Americans.
3. Facebook throttled the Hunter Biden laptop story.
Even as Meta admitted the Biden-Harris censorship was wrong, others in Big Tech were reluctant to go on the record.
Now Google is acknowledging, for the first time, that it too faced censorship pressure from the Biden White House and that pressure was “unacceptable and wrong.”
But that’s not all. YouTube is making changes to its platform to prevent future censorship.
YouTube is committing to the American people that it will NEVER use outside so-called “fact-checkers” to censor speech.
No more telling Americans what to believe and not believe.
YouTube also is trying out Community Notes.
@elonmusk was ahead of the curve.
Meta followed suit.
And now YouTube.
And YouTube confirms that Europe is targeting American speech and innovation.
Here it admits that European social-media laws place a “disproportionate regulatory burden on American companies.”
YouTube warns that Europe could force companies to remove LAWFUL social-media content and could risk freedom of expression “within and OUTSIDE of the EU.”
That’s right. Europe wants to censor your online speech even if you aren’t in Europe!
Google and YouTube credit @JudiciaryGOP for bringing transparency of and accountability for Big Tech’s censorship.
We will continue to hold Big Tech accountable.
Read GOOGLE’s whole letter to the Committee here: judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subs…
All the above are MASSIVE wins for the American people, the First Amendment, and freedom.
We won’t stop fighting to protect free speech.
Comments