YouTube Plans on Censoring Election “Misinformation” That Doesn’t Violate Rules
Jose Nino
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YouTube has recently revealed its plans to ramp up censorship as the 2022 midterms elections quickly approach. According to Tom Parker of Reclaim the Net, YouTube intends to take down election “misinformation” and censor content that doesn’t violate any rules but is deemed to be “borderline.”
YouTube revealed that this election misinformation policy is applicable to any previous US presidential election, the 2014 and 2018 Brazilian presidential elections, and the 2021 German federal election.
With regards to this policy, any posts featuring allegations that there were “widespread fraud, errors, or glitches” in these elections or assertions that “certified results of those elections were false” will be banned.
While YouTube asserts that this policy only applies to any US presidential election in the past, various videos questioning the results of the 2016 election and alleging that Russia interfered in the election are still on the platform.
On the other hand, this policy was enthusiastically used to take down over 8,000 channels that made “harmful and misleading” allegations concerning the 2020 US presidential election. Additionally, YouTube announced that it’s already taken down multiple videos connected to the 2022 US midterms.
On top of removing content that violates its misinformation policies, YouTube is also suppressing “borderline” content. Per YouTube, borderline content does not violate any policies but is censored due to how it almost violates Youtube’s rules.
Parker observed that YouTube will boost mainstream media outlets that it deems “authoritative” by doing the following:
- Prominently recommending their content
- Promoting their election night live streams on the YouTube homepage
- Adding labels from these sources below videos about the midterms and in search results about the midterms
Of the “authoritative” new sources, PBS NewsHour, The Wall Street Journal, Univision and local ABC, CBS, and NBC affiliates will receive further promotion from YouTube.
From the looks of it, YouTube is planning to put corporate media sources on a pedestal in the upcoming midterms. By stark contrast, alternative media sources that present an alternative narrative to the electoral process will get clamped down on.
This is election interference by another name.
Internet censorship — be it by the private sector or the state — is an existential issue for the American Right.
An Internet Bills of Rights, which bars censorship of peaceful online speech from either companies or the state, is absolutely needed. Any Republican who doesn’t campaign on this and other issues that rein in Big Tech are practically allowing Democrats and their globalist fellow travelers to achieve political and cultural hegemony.
The time to fight back is now.
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