YouTube has reversed its policy on election integrity and will now allow the preservation of content claiming that fraud, errors, or glitches took place during the 2020 presidential election and other U.S. elections, as confirmed by the company to Axios on Friday.
This shift is significant because YouTube initially implemented this policy in December 2020, once enough states had certified the results of the 2020 election. However, YouTube now believes that maintaining the policy could hinder political speech without effectively reducing the risk of real-world harm or violence, according to their statement.
After two years, thousands of video removals, and the completion of an election cycle, YouTube recognized the need to reevaluate the impact of its policy in light of the evolving landscape. As a result, YouTube will cease removing content that promotes false claims of widespread fraud, errors, or glitches in past U.S. presidential elections, including the 2020 election, with the 2024 campaigns already underway.
When asked about the specific criteria for this decision, a YouTube spokesperson referred Axios to the company’s statement. Although YouTube stated that it carefully considered this change, it did not provide explicit examples of the factors or instances taken into account during their decision-making process. The platform plans to disclose further details regarding its approach to the 2024 election in the coming months.
It’s important to note that this policy revision, effective from Friday, does not alter YouTube’s other rules concerning misinformation. The platform will continue to enforce its remaining election misinformation policies, which prohibit content that misleads voters about voting procedures, falsely disputes the validity of mail-in voting, discourages voting, or encourages interference with democratic processes.
Media companies and technology platforms are facing the challenge of striking the right balance between combating misinformation and upholding freedom of speech as the 2024 election approaches. Achieving this balance has proven difficult thus far, with election denialism becoming a prominent feature of the political platforms of figures like former President Donald Trump in anticipation of the 2024 election. For instance, CNN received widespread criticism for its recent town hall interview with Trump, during which he repeatedly propagated unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about the 2020 election being “rigged,” despite the moderator’s attempts to fact-check him in real-time.