YouTube announced Thursday that creators whose channels were previously closed will be able to apply for new accounts.
“We know that many laid-off creators deserve a second chance – YouTube has evolved and changed over the past 20 years, and we’ve also had our share of second chances to get things right with our community,” YouTube wrote in the blog.
This policy change, which YouTube calls a “pilot,” didn’t come out of nowhere. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) had subpoenaed YouTube’s parent company, Alphabet, to investigate whether the Biden-Harris administration “coerced or collaborated” with the platforms to censor speech. Last month, Alphabet’s general counsel, Daniel F. Donovan, wrote in a letter to the Jordanian representative that the company would allow some laid-off creators to return.
Although YouTube does not explicitly reference its COVID-19 or election integrity policies in its blog post, Alphabet’s letter makes clear that these policies are a priority.
“Reflecting the company’s commitment to free speech, YouTube will offer all creators the opportunity to rejoin the platform should the company terminate their channels for repeated violations of COVID-19 and election integrity policies that are no longer in effect,” Alphabet’s letter said.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 extensive reach and play an important role in civic discourse.”
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, platforms like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter took steps to prevent the spread of false medical information about vaccines against the virus.
At the time, YouTube banned content claiming vaccines could cause cancer, a false claim that is not supported by scientific research. The following year, these platforms also took action against accounts they believed incited violence after the January 6 riots, including that of President Donald Trump.
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These policies have since been abandoned, but creators who were fired under these rules still cannot upload YouTube videos.
TechCrunch asked YouTube if this pilot would specifically focus on creators who have been laid off due to COVID-19 and election integrity policies. We did not receive a response prior to publication.
“We will consider several factors when evaluating requests for new channels, such as whether the creator has committed particularly serious or persistent violations of our Community Guidelines or Terms of Service, or whether the creator’s on- or off-platform activity has harmed or may continue to harm the YouTube community, such as channels that endanger the safety of children,” the company wrote on its blog.
YouTube also said that creators fired for copyright infringement will not be allowed to request a new channel.
Creators must wait a year after their channel closes before they can apply for a new channel; however, they can still appeal their dismissal during this year if they feel YouTube’s decision was unfair.
If a creator is reinstated, they will start from scratch, rather than regain access to their old account. However, they can still apply for the YouTube Partner Program once they are eligible, which allows them to share ad revenue with YouTube.
