YouTube to Pilot Reinstatement Path for Channels Banned Under Retired Covid and 2020 Election Rules

Overview

• Alphabet told the House Judiciary Committee on Sept. 23 that it will soon launch a limited pilot for creators to request reactivation if they were removed under now-discontinued Covid-19 and 2020 election rules.
• Eligibility is confined to accounts taken down for repeated violations of those specific policies, and the company emphasized that reinstatement is not guaranteed.
• YouTube said it will enforce its own Community Guidelines and will not rely on external fact-checkers to classify content.
• Alphabet’s letter asserted the Biden White House repeatedly pressed YouTube to remove Covid-related videos that did not violate platform rules, which the company described as unacceptable government pressure.
• The company also criticized the EU’s Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act as imposing disproportionate moderation burdens, and lawmakers signaled they may seek more detail on how the pilot will operate.