YouTube is reinstating some accounts that were suspended for spreading misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic and 2020 election.
The announcement comes after pressure from House Republicans, who raised concerns in a letter sent through their attorney.
YouTube’s parent company, Alphabet, said it is cooperating with lawmakers by providing documents and testimony to support an investigation into whether big tech companies were pressured to remove certain types of content.
"Senior Biden administration officials, including White House officials, conducted repeated and sustained outreach to Alphabet and pressed the company regarding certain user-generated content related to the COVID-19 pandemic that did not violate its policies," the letter wrote. "While the company continued to develop and enforce its policies independently, Biden administration officials continue to press the company to remove non-violative user-generated content.
"As online platforms, including Alphabet, grappled with these decisions, the administration's officials, including President Biden, created a political atmosphere that
sought to influence the actions of platforms based on their concerns regarding misinformation.
The reinstatement of accounts is the latest example of technology platforms loosening content moderation in recent years.
