YouTube To Allow Election Denial On The Platform Ahead of 2024 Presidential Race

Photo illustration by Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via AP

Just in time for the 2024 election cycle, YouTube announced plans to ease restrictions on content containing or related to claims about the legitimacy of election results. But only past election results.

Axios reported the company’s announcement on Friday.

Google’s YouTube policies on misinformation, as it pertains to the U.S. elections, will be changed in order to provide “a home for open discussion and debate during the ongoing election season,” the company said in a blog post.

This change only applies to existing restrictions related to the 2020 election and other “past US Presidential elections,” the company clarified.

The election misinformation policy was first introduced in December 2020. The rationale for the change is related to “the unintended effect of curtailing political speech without meaningfully reducing the risk of violence or other real-world harm.”

We will stop removing content that advances false claims that widespread fraud, errors, or glitches occurred in the 2020 and other past US Presidential elections. This goes into effect today, Friday, June 2. As with any update to our policies, we carefully deliberated this change.

They clarified that other other aspects of the policy will still be enforced.

Including those that disallow content aiming to mislead voters about the time, place, means, or eligibility requirements for voting; false claims that could materially discourage voting, including those disputing the validity of voting by mail; and content that encourages others to interfere with democratic processes.

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