Doubtful content should no longer be deleted in the interests of freedom of expression.
Two years after its declared commitment to combating misinformation in connection with the last US presidential election, the online platform YouTube has announced a clear departure from its previous guidelines. The video platform will “no longer remove content that makes false claims about widespread fraud, errors or glitches in the 2020 presidential election and other past US elections,” the company said on Friday.
“Two years, tens of thousands of videos removed, and an election term later, we realized it was time to re-evaluate the impact of these policies in today’s changing landscape,” the company explained its move. While removing the content curbs “some misinformation,” it could also have the “unintended effect of restricting political expression.”
The ability to openly discuss political ideas, even if they are controversial or based on unproven assumptions, is “central to a functioning democratic society – especially in the midst of election season,” it said.
Effective immediately, despite heavy criticism
The updated guideline is therefore effective immediately. Other rules, however, are apparently to remain in place, including the ban on content that could mislead voters or tempt people to disrupt democratic processes.
The decision was immediately met with criticism. The independent organization Free Press asked YouTube to withdraw the “dangerous decision” immediately. The online platform is “completely wrong” in its justification in favor of freedom of expression. Rather, hatred and misinformation threatened “our democracy” in an increasingly polarized political landscape.
YouTube was “one of the last major online platforms” with a policy to curb misinformation about the 2020 election, the left-wing organization Media Matters also criticized the move. The company is giving “people like Donald Trump and his agents a free hand to continue to spread lies about the 2020 election without consequences.”
The political debates in the USA are becoming increasingly heated. A number of US tech giants have therefore recently been increasingly concerned with the question of how false information can be combated without restricting freedom of expression.
The next presidential election is scheduled for November 2024. The primaries begin in February. The Republican primary winner will challenge incumbent Democratic Party incumbent Biden, who is running for re-election.
(WHAT)