YouTube CEO, Susan Wojcicki, has said that the company will consider reinstating Donald Trump’s channel on the internet video platform after it decides that the risk of violence is minimal.
YouTube took drastic actions on the former US President’s YouTube channel on Jan 12, when it decided that Trump’s channel violated the site’s policy against inciting violence. Trump’s channel was suspended for seven days.
However, Trump’s channel “remains suspended due to the risk of incitement to violence,” Wojcicki said Thursday during a discussion hosted by Atlantic Council, a nonpartisan think-tank.
She said, “Given the warnings by the Capitol Police yesterday about a potential attack today, I think it’s pretty clear that that elevated violence risk still remains,” she continued, referring to bizarre online conspiracy theories that Trump would somehow return as president on March 4. Wojciki also said that when Trump’s channel is reinstated, it will be subject to the same policies as any other channel. She said, “Where we stand today, it’s hard for me to say when that’s going to be, but it’s pretty clear that right now where we stand that there still is that elevated risk of violence.”
YouTube will evaluate multiple “signals” to determine if the threat of violence has decreased, according to Wojcicki, including guidance from U.S. law enforcement and the level of violent rhetoric that YouTube monitors on the platform.
Trump was banned or suspended by numerous other internet platforms over his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
Twitter has permanently banned Trump, while the former US President is indefinitely suspended by Facebook.
