RIGHT SPEAK: Google to Bring Back Accounts Banned at Biden Admin’s Insistence: ‘Unacceptable and wrong’; YouTube to Start Bringing Back Creators Banned for COVID-19 and Election Misinformation , and other C-Virus related stories

Google to bring back accounts banned at Biden admin’s insistence: ‘Unacceptable and wrong’:

Google told House lawmakers Tuesday that it would reinstate YouTube accounts that the Biden administration “pressed” them to “remove” over content related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alphabet chief counsel Daniel Donovan told members of the House Judiciary that the 46th administration “created a political atmosphere that sought to influence the actions of platforms based on their concerns regarding misinformation.”

“It is unacceptable and wrong when any government, including the Biden Administration, attempts to dictate how the Company [Alphabet] moderates content,” Donovan wrote, “and the Company has consistently fought against those efforts on First Amendment grounds.”

Users including current FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, now-White House counterterrorism chief Sebastian Gorka and “War Room” podcast host Steve Bannon had been yanked off the video site in recent years after being flagged for repeated violations of COVID-19” and “elections integrity” policies.

Those users will now be able “to rejoin the platform,” according to Donovan’s letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Post.

The Alphabet attorney also claimed in his missive to Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) that YouTube “never” prohibited posting related to COVID origins, and the site never “operated a fact-checking program” either.

“YouTube takes seriously the importance of protecting free expression and access to a range of viewpoints,” Donovan said. --->READ MORE HERE

AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, file

YouTube to start bringing back creators banned for COVID-19 and election misinformation:

YouTube will offer creators a way to rejoin the streaming platform if they were banned for violating COVID-19 and election misinformation policies that are no longer in effect, its parent company Alphabet said Tuesday.

In a letter submitted in response to subpoenas from the House Judiciary Committee, attorneys for Alphabet said the decision to bring back banned accounts reflected the company’s commitment to free speech. It said the company values conservative voices on its platform and recognizes their reach and important role in civic discourse.

“No matter the political atmosphere, YouTube will continue to enable free expression on its platform, particularly as it relates to issues subject to political debate,” the letter read.

The move is the latest in a cascade of content moderation rollbacks from tech companies, who cracked down on false information during the pandemic and after the 2020 election but have since faced pressure from President Donald Trump and other conservatives who argue they unlawfully stifled right-wing voices in the process.

It comes as tech CEOs, including Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, have sought a closer relationship with the Republican president, including through high-dollar donations to his campaign and attending events in Washington.

YouTube in 2023 phased out its policy to remove content that falsely claims the 2020 election, or other past U.S. presidential elections, were marred by “widespread fraud, errors or glitches.” --->READ MORE HERE