Rand Paul announces exit from YouTube
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said he will stop posting videos on YouTube because of actions the platform has taken over content it said violated its policies.
Paul said his decision to stop posting on YouTube is part of his “exodus from Big Tech,” and accused the platform of censoring his content.
Paul received two strikes from YouTube, in August and September, over videos the platform said violated its COVID-19 misinformation policy. His account was suspended for seven days for each strike. If a user receives three strikes within 90 days, the account will be terminated, according to YouTube’s policy.
The senator’s announcement comes amid more widespread Republican accusations that technology giants are censoring their content. However, there has been no evidence published suggesting systemic anti-conservative bias among major tech companies.
Paul encouraged others who do not agree with mainstream platforms’ policies to opt out of using those websites in an op-ed published in the Washington Examiner on Monday.
“About half of the public leans right. If we all took our messaging to outlets of free exchange, we could cripple Big Tech in a heartbeat. So, today I take my first step toward denying my content to Big Tech. Hopefully, other liberty lovers will follow,” he wrote.
Paul said he will only be posting on YouTube to criticize the platform, and will instead largely post content on the video sharing site Rumble, which has become popular among Republicans who have fled mainstream social platforms.
Rumble entered into an agreement with former President Trump’s media company, Trump Media & Technology Group, in December.
Paul received two strikes from YouTube, in August and September, over videos the platform said violated its COVID-19 misinformation policy. His account was suspended for seven days for each strike. If a user receives three strikes within 90 days, the account will be terminated, according to YouTube’s policy.
The senator’s announcement comes amid more widespread Republican accusations that technology giants are censoring their content. However, there has been no evidence published suggesting systemic anti-conservative bias among major tech companies.
Paul encouraged others who do not agree with mainstream platforms’ policies to opt out of using those websites in an op-ed published in the Washington Examiner on Monday.
“About half of the public leans right. If we all took our messaging to outlets of free exchange, we could cripple Big Tech in a heartbeat. So, today I take my first step toward denying my content to Big Tech. Hopefully, other liberty lovers will follow,” he wrote.
Paul said he will only be posting on YouTube to criticize the platform, and will instead largely post content on the video sharing site Rumble, which has become popular among Republicans who have fled mainstream social platforms.
Rumble entered into an agreement with former President Trump’s media company, Trump Media & Technology Group, in December.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
