Following a years-long investigation by the House Judiciary Committee, the tech giant acknowledges that pressure from the White House was “unacceptable and wrong” and will offer thousands of previously banned creators an opportunity to return to the YouTube platform.
In a major admission today, Google has committed to restoring the accounts of thousands of American creators who were previously removed from YouTube for their political speech on topics such as COVID-19 and elections.
The company’s announcement came after a lengthy investigation and subpoena from the House Judiciary Committee, led by Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH).
During the committee’s oversight, Google admitted that the Biden Administration had pressured the company to censor Americans and remove content, even when that content did not violate YouTube’s internal policies. The company described the pressure as “unacceptable and wrong.”
In a press release, Chairman Jordan stated that the admissions are a direct result of the committee’s investigation into Google’s content moderation practices. The tech giant’s new commitments represent a significant shift in its approach to free speech on the platform.
Among the key concessions made by Google are several policy changes. The company stated that public debate should never be restricted for the sake of relying on “authorities,” and that it will no longer use third-party “fact-checkers” for content review.
READ THE LETTER FROM GOOGLE:
Furthermore, Google raised concerns about European censorship laws, specifically noting that regulations like the Digital Services Act (DSA) threaten American speech and could be used to require the removal of “lawful content.”
The move comes as a culmination of the committee’s sustained oversight efforts, which began with an investigation into the company’s content moderation decisions. The new policy, which will allow previously banned creators a path to return, marks a significant reversal of a years-long trend of platform-driven content removal.
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