Overview

• Alphabet told lawmakers that senior Biden administration officials repeatedly pressed the company to remove COVID-19 content that did not violate YouTube’s policies, calling such pressure unacceptable and wrong.
• YouTube will offer a way back for creators whose channels were terminated for repeated violations of now-retired COVID-19 and election integrity rules, with the rollout starting as a limited pilot in the coming weeks.
• The company noted it retired its election policy in 2023 and ended stand‑alone COVID-19 content rules by December 2024, saying its current guidelines allow a wider range of discussion on those topics.
• Alphabet said it has not and will not empower third‑party fact‑checkers to label or act on content across its services, while testing user context tools that add explanatory notes to videos.
• High‑profile figures previously banned, including Steve Bannon, Dan Bongino and Sebastian Gorka, could be eligible to return, though eligibility, restoration mechanics and monetization details remain unspecified.