YouTube announced Thursday that creators whose channels were previously terminated will be able to request new accounts.
“We know that many of our fired creators deserve a second chance. YouTube has evolved and changed over the past 20 years, and we too have shared a second chance to make things right with our community,” YouTube wrote in a blog post.
This policy change, which YouTube is calling a “pilot,” didn’t come out of the blue. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has subpoenaed YouTube’s parent company Alphabet to investigate whether the Biden-Harris administration “coerced or conspired” to censor speech on the platform. Last month, Alphabet General Counsel Daniel F. Donovan said in a letter to Congressman Jordan that the company would allow some fired creators back.
Although YouTube did not explicitly mention its policies regarding COVID-19 or election integrity in its blog post, Alphabet’s letter makes clear that these policies are a top priority.
“Reflecting the company’s commitment to freedom of expression, YouTube will provide all creators with the opportunity to rejoin the platform if YouTube terminates their channel for repeated COVID-19 violations or election integrity policies that are no longer in effect,” Alphabet’s letter said. “YouTube values conservative voices on its platform and recognizes that these creators have far-reaching influence and play an important role in public discourse.”
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter took steps to prevent the spread of medical misinformation about viral vaccines.
At the time, YouTube banned content that vaccines can cause cancer, a false claim not supported by scientific research. The following year, these platforms also took action against accounts that appeared to incite violence after the January 6 riot, including President Donald Trump’s account.
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Those policies have since been repealed, but creators fired under those rules are still unable to upload YouTube videos.
TechCrunch asked YouTube whether the pilot will specifically focus on creators who have been fired due to COVID-19 and election integrity policies. No response was received prior to publication.
“When evaluating requests for new channels, we consider several factors, including whether the creator has committed particularly serious or persistent violations of our Community Guidelines or Terms of Service, and whether the creator’s activity on or off the platform has harmed or is likely to continue to harm the YouTube community, such as channels that endanger the safety of children,” the company said in a blog post.
YouTube also said creators fired for copyright infringement will not be able to request new channels.
Creators must wait one year after their channel ends before they can claim a new channel. However, if you believe YouTube’s decision is unfair, you can still appeal the termination within the year’s grace period.
If a creator returns, they’ll start from scratch instead of regaining access to their old account. However, if you qualify, you can apply for the YouTube Partner Program, which allows you to share ad revenue with YouTube.