US Sen. Ron Johnson suspended for a week from YouTube over COVID-19 treatment video

YouTube on June 11 blocked US Senator Ron Johnson from uploading videos for seven days over clips the platform said violated its COVID-19 “medical misinformation policies”. According to Associated Press, the Wisconsin Republican’s suspension stems from statements he made during June 3 Milwaukee Press Club event. Johnson had criticised the Trump and Biden administrations for not only ignoring but working against robust research on the use of cheap, generic drugs to be repurposed for early treatment of COVID. 

“It always baffled me that there was such a concerted effort to deny the American public the type of robust exploration research into early treatment early in this pandemic,” Johnson added before describing the drugs hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin as “incredibly safe”. 

Following his comments, YouTube suspended the US Senator for one week. While speaking to the media outlet, a YouTube spokesperson said that the platform removed Johnson’s video in accordance with the company’s COVID-19 medical misinformation policies. It is worth mentioning that YouTube doesn’t allow content that spreads medical misinformation that contradicts local health authorities’ or the World Health Organization’s (WHO) medical information about COVID-19. The policy specifically rules out posting content that “claims that Ivermectin or Hydroxychloroquine are effective treatments for COVID-19”. 

YouTube spokesperson said: “We removed the video in accordance with our COVID-19 medical misinformation policies, which don’t allow content that encourages people to use Hydroxychloroquine or Ivermectin to treat or prevent the virus”. 

Johnson slams YouTube 

After the suspension, Johnson blasted Google-owned YouTube. He said his suspension showed big tech sites “have accumulated too much unaccountable power”. He even added that YouTube and other big firms only follow one media viewpoint, which is dictated by government agencies. 

“YouTube’s ongoing COVID censorship proves they have accumulated too much unaccountable power,” he said in a statement. “Big Tech and mainstream media believe they are smarter than medical doctors who have devoted their lives to science and use their skills to save lives. They have decided there is only one medical viewpoint allowed and it is the viewpoint dictated by government agencies". 

(With inputs from AP)