YouTube Will Issue Strikes for Election Results Misinformation, Including Videos From Donald Trump

YouTube further responded to Wednesday’s attack on the U.S. Capitol by moving up the end of a grace period for videos containing misinformation about the election results.

The Google-owned video site joined Facebook and Twitter in removing a video Wednesday in which outgoing President Donald Trump mixed in baseless claims about election fraud with a light push to protestors to go home.

In a series of tweets Thursday, YouTube said its grace period for the removal without penalty of posts that broke its rules on spreading misinformation about widespread voter fraud, which was originally set for Inauguration Day, had ended effective immediately, meaning that all accounts, including Trump’s, are now subject to its strike system for violations.

1. Due to the disturbing events that transpired yesterday, and given that the election results have now been certified, starting today *any* channels posting new videos with false claims in violation of our policies will now receive a strike. https://t.co/aq3AVugzL7

— YouTubeInsider (@YouTubeInsider) January 7, 2021

The company added that since tightening its policies on content of this type last December, thousands of videos have been removed, “including several videos President Trump posted to his channel.”

Under YouTube’s strike system, channels that receive a strike are temporarily barred from posting or livestreaming, while those tallying three strikes within 90 days will be permanently removed.

The company tweeted, “We apply our policies and penalties consistently, regardless of who uploads it.”