YouTube has deleted a video uploaded by the American Conservative Union, which hosts the Conservative Political Action Conference, for allegedly violating its terms and conditions about COVID-19, the group said on July 11.
In an emailed statement, the American Conservative Union (ACU) said its video featured former President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would file lawsuits against Google, as well as Facebook and Twitter.
YouTube “issued a strike against” the group’s account two days after the video was uploaded on July 9. The Big Tech firm also “banned the organization from posting for one week,” according to the statement.
“As a result, YouTube has prevented ACU from sharing content from CPAC 2021 Part 2 in Dallas, Texas, including former President Donald Trump’s speech on Sunday, July 11,” the statement said.
Trump was scheduled to deliver CPAC’s headliner speech on July 11 at 3:35 p.m. CDT.
According to the ACU, YouTube said the video contained alleged “medical misinformation” regarding COVID-19 when it cited the reason for removing the video. The group said YouTube didn’t cite any examples that violated its policies.
“It is clear that YouTube censored CPAC because we stood with former President Donald Trump on his lawsuit against Big Tech,” ACU Chairman Matt Schlapp said in a statement. “This is yet another example of Big Tech censoring content with which they disagree in order to promote the political positions they favor.”
The ACU further suggested that YouTube opposed a comment from Trump referencing studies about hydroxychloroquine and saying it’s effective in treating COVID-19.
“Google’s political biases heavily influence YouTube’s definitions of ’misinformation' and that the political beliefs of Google executives take priority over the free speech rights of Google users,” the group stated.
When reached for comment, an ACU spokesman told The Epoch Times that claims in the video “are backed by sound medical research conducted by local health authorities” and it’s “clear to CPAC that YouTube’s removal of our content and the one-week ban they imposed on our account has nothing to do with ’medical misinformation' and everything to do with suppressing content about the class-action lawsuit.”
Trump announced last week that his class-action lawsuits against the social media giants and their CEOS are about protecting the First Amendment right to free speech. They argued that Trump’s rights were denied when the three Big Tech companies banned him.
Twitter, Facebook, and Google said in January that they banned Trump over his claims that the Nov. 3 election was stolen and alleged that he contributed to violence during the Jan. 6 protest. Trump has categorically denied those allegations.
The former president’s lawyers have argued that Twitter, Facebook, and Google have “ceased to be private” companies and cited the Section 230 protection shield that such firms employ to protect themselves from liability. Republicans have said the federal rule has allowed Big Tech firms to censor their political opponents, while some have gone further, suggesting that social media giants should be regulated as utilities.
Representatives from YouTube didn’t respond to a request for comment by press time.
