YouTubers who posted misinformation get a second chance
YouTube feels forgiving: It will give people who have been reprimanded in the past for posting misinformation a second chance. These are people who have been banned from YouTube because they allegedly provided incorrect information during COVID-19. This also applies to people who shared incorrect political information during elections.
Misinformation on YouTube
Therefore, people who have recently been banned can return to YouTube. YouTube itself did not intend to enable these people to start a new channel (their old channel is no longer accessible anyway), but it was instructed by politicians to make this possible. By the way, it is not about people who posted some incorrect information, but more systematically came up with incorrect information.
In 2020, YouTube introduced a new policy banning videos about coronavirus vaccinations that spread misinformation. Ultimately, this also concerned vaccinations more broadly, given the measles outbreak in the United States, among other things. YouTube later also included politics, which resulted in a ban for President Trump, among other things. There, you can see where the pressure is increasing.
YouTube says, “YouTube continues to enable a diversity of perspectives and believes creators should be able to openly discuss political ideas on the platform.” It will also pay $24.5 million after a settlement over Trump’s ban, which will be used to build a new ballroom in the White House.
Banned for political matters or vaccination information
In the coming weeks, eligible creators will receive a second chance from YouTube, but it depends on many factors. For example, the company states: “When reviewing requests for new channels, we consider several factors, including whether the creator has committed particularly serious or persistent violations of our Community Guidelines or Terms of Service, or whether the creator’s activities on or off the platform have caused or may continue to cause harm to the YouTube community.”
For example, if you have been banned because you infringed the copyrights of others, you should not expect a second chance. If you have deleted your entire YouTube channel or Google account, perhaps out of anger, you cannot request a new channel.
The process can ultimately take many months. If your channel is banned, keep in mind that you will remain banned for at least a year: so you will not get a second chance if, for example, you were hit with the ban hammer this year.