In an unexpected move, YouTube announced on Friday that it would no longer remove content denying the results of the 2020 US presidential election. The decision has raised concerns about the spread of misinformation and disinformation on the platform, as well as its potential impact on democracy and voter suppression efforts.
YouTube had initially banned content disputing the outcome of the 2020 election in December of that year. However, the company has now reversed its policy without providing specific reasons for the about-face. In a statement, YouTube vaguely mentioned that it had “carefully deliberated this change” but did not offer further explanation.