YouTube eases restrictions on election misinformation

YouTube has decided to roll back its rules regarding misinformation during the 2020 U.S. election.

The company announced the policy change, effective immediately, stating:

In the current environment, we find that while removing this content does curb some misinformation, it could also have the unintended effect of curtailing political speech without meaningfully reducing the risk of violence or other real-world harm.

Although YouTube will now allow false claims of widespread fraud or error in the 2020 presidential election and previous presidential elections, it will still prohibit certain types of election-related false information, including misleading information about voting locations and attempts to discourage voter participation.

The move by YouTube comes as a surprise, especially as the 2024 presidential race is already underway. The company is set to share more details about its approach to the 2024 election in the coming months.