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YouTube suspends Sen. Ron Johnson over hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin video

On June 11, 2021, YouTube removed a video from Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and blocked him from uploading for one week. The video promoted hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin as COVID-19 treatments. YouTube said it violated its COVID-19 medical misinformation policy.

Jun 11, 2021
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Whose side it served: Democrats

The suspension restricted a Republican senator's criticism of federal COVID policy during the Biden administration.

What the record shows

Axios reported the video was a recording of Johnson's June 3, 2021 remarks at a Milwaukee Press Club virtual event. In it he argued the drugs could help end the pandemic and criticized the Trump and Biden administrations for neglecting research on cheap generic drugs for early treatment. A YouTube spokesperson said its policies bar content that encourages people to use hydroxychloroquine or ivermectin to treat or prevent the virus. Johnson told Fox News that YouTube's 'ongoing COVID censorship' showed it had too much unaccountable power.

In their words

“YouTube's ongoing COVID censorship proves they have accumulated too much unaccountable power”— Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) · source
The other side

YouTube applied a published rule against promoting these drugs for COVID-19, which matched health authorities' guidance at the time; Johnson argued a senator discussing treatment research and government priorities should not be removed.

Sources

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