On Friday, the Google-owned video-sharing website YouTube announced that it would remove the restrictions placed on former President Donald Trump’s account after the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
According to a statement released by YouTube VP Leslie Miller, “Starting today, the Donald J. Trump channel is no longer restricted and the ability to upload new content is restored”. We weighed the importance of allowing voters to hear from all major national candidates before an election against the ongoing risk of violence in the world.
According to YouTube, Mr. Trump’s account will be treated the same as any other user’s channel.
The loosening of controls follows the announcement of Susan Wojcicki’s departure as CEO of YouTube last month. Wojcicki had led the company for the previous nine years. Ms. Wojcicki predicted in 2021 that Mr. Trump’s ban would be lifted eventually, but she did not specify when this would happen.
Twitter and Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, among others, had previously banned Mr. Trump but have since lifted those bans.
