The video platform YouTube has announced a drastic change to its guidelines: Content that contains false information about elections will no longer be deleted in the future. The company justifies this in an article with the desire to strengthen freedom of expression.

Fighting misinformation during the 2020 US presidential election

YouTube took on the fight against the spread of misinformation during the 2020 US presidential election campaign between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. At the time, a lot of misinformation was being spread on social media, particularly around the election. YouTube responded with a strict moderation policy to curb misinformation and protect the integrity of the electoral process.

U-turn in moderation policy

But now the company is making an about-face and announcing that it will no longer remove “content that makes false claims about widespread fraud, errors, or mishaps in the 2020 presidential election and other past U.S. elections.”

YouTube argues that freedom of expression could be restricted by deleting content deemed misinformation. In today's polarized political landscape, the ability to openly discuss political ideas - even when they are controversial or based on unproven assumptions - is crucial to a functioning democratic society.

Remaining prohibited content

However, certain content remains prohibited. This includes content intended to deceive voters or disrupt democratic processes, such as disseminating information intended to hinder elections or incite disruption of democratic processes.

Criticism of the new directive

YouTube's decision to change its policies immediately drew criticism. Organizations including Free Press and Media Matters called on the company to reverse its “dangerous decision,” saying misinformation and hate speech posed a threat to democracy.


We as Mimikama agree with this criticism!

As Mimikama, an association that has specialized in exposing fraud and misinformation on the Internet for 12 years, we consider YouTube's decision to be an alarming and harmful step!

At Mimikama, we firmly believe that disinformation and hate pose a serious threat to democracy. Fake news can manipulate public opinion, undermine trust in democratic institutions and lead to unrest.

We are concerned that YouTube's new policy will increase the spread of misinformation and hate speech. In our view, it is important to find a responsible balance between freedom of expression and protecting society from harmful content.


Conclusion

YouTube has changed its policies and will no longer remove content containing false information about elections. The reason for the change was the desire to strengthen freedom of expression. During the 2020 US presidential election, the company implemented a policy to combat misinformation. Despite the new guidelines, certain types of content that could mislead voters or disrupt democratic processes remain banned. The decision was criticized by various organizations that see misinformation and hate speech as a threat to democracy.

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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )