YouTube, a subsidiary of Google, has announced plans to allow authors whose channels were previously banned for spreading misinformation about Covid-19 or elections to apply for reinstatement. This marks a shift from the lifetime ban policy that has been in effect for several years, according to CNBC.
In a letter from Alphabet lawyer Daniel Donovan to U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, it was stated that the new program would be launched as a pilot and cover a limited number of authors, including those whose channels were removed under outdated rules.
This policy change comes amidst pressure from Republicans demanding that tech companies lift restrictions imposed during the Biden administration regarding vaccine and election content. In March, Congressman Jordan even summoned Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, accusing YouTube of "colluding in government censorship."
In 2021, YouTube committed to removing videos with false claims about vaccines, and during the pandemic, the company faced direct pressure from officials. Donovan referred to this as "unacceptable and wrong."
In December 2024, the platform lifted certain rules regarding Covid misinformation. At the same time, YouTube stated that it would not delegate fact-checking to third-party organizations but would continue to add context under videos. A similar move was made by Meta, which ended its fact-checking program on Facebook and Instagram.