YouTube Censors If You Disagree With The CDC, Even If You’re A Senator – The Federalist
YouTube is once again curbing free speech, this time censoring Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., for disagreeing with the government. Paul posted a video about masks that contradicted current CDC guidance, and as punishment, YouTube removed the video and banned Paul from uploading content for seven days.
Paul originally posted a video of a journalist interviewing him, which included a discussion about the science of masking.
Apparently, because I dared to contradict Dr. Fauci and the government, YouTube has removed my video, Paul said in a response video, which the Big Tech company also removed. YouTube might be a private entity, but theyre acting like an arm of the government censoring those who provide an alternative view to the science deniers in Washington people like Dr. Fauci, who have lied to the American people time and time again about masks.
The offensive content in the video was Pauls claim that N-95 masks are effective but cloth masks are not.
Most of the masks you get over the counter dont work, they dont prevent infection, Paul said. Saying cloth masks work when they dont actually risks lives, as someone may choose to care for a loved one with COVID while only wearing a cloth mask. This is not only bad advice but also potentially deadly information.
Paul said the health experts at the CDC have been ignoring key studies on the efficacy of surgical masks.
A Danish study of 6,000 participants found that wearing a surgical mask did not significantly reduce a persons risk of COVID-19 infection compared to the risks facing those who did not wear masks, Paul said. A Vietnamese study of 1,600 participants found that cloth masks allow for 97 percent penetration of particles the same size as the virus. This study also found that cloth mask wearers had a higher rate of infection than the control group who wore no masks.
Paul said hes always supported N-95 masks because they are more protective, which is why health care workers in contact with COVID-19 wear them instead of cloth coverings.
Dr. Fauci knew that too, which is why he originally lied to the public and said that the masks dont work. He feared not enough health workers would be able to buy N-95 masks if the public was buying them, Paul said. Ask any doctor or nurse what mask they wear when they go into a COVID patients room: only an N-95 mask, because the other masks dont work.
A YouTube spokesperson told The Federalist that Paul has been issued a first strike for his comments on masks.
We removed content from Senator Pauls channel for including claims that masks are ineffective in preventing the contraction or transmission of COVID-19, in accordance with our COVID-19 medical misinformation policies, the spokesperson said. This resulted in a first strike on the channel, which means it cant upload content for a week, per our longstanding three strikes policy. We apply our policies consistently across the platform, regardless of speaker or political views, and we make exceptions for videos that have additional context such as countervailing views from local health authorities.
Although Paul said private companies have a right to ban him, he thinks YouTubes censorship is dangerous.
As a libertarian-leaning senator, I think private companies have the right to ban me if they want to, but I think it is really anti-free speech, anti-progress of science, which involves skepticism and argumentation to arrive at the truth, Paul said. I will try to channel my anger, not in breaking these companies up but by publicly expressing my disagreement with them and publicly promoting other channels that offer free-speech alternatives.
Maggie Hroncich is an intern at The Federalist and a student at Hillsdale College.
Read the original here:
YouTube Censors If You Disagree With The CDC, Even If You're A Senator - The Federalist
- The EUs Internet Law, a Blueprint for Global CensorshipIncluding on American Platforms? - The Daily Signal - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Blasphemy, Censorship, and the Future of Free Expression in Britain - Quillette - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Ready or Not Dev Releases Before-and-After Screenshots as It Battles Against Censorship Backlash and Steam Review-Bomb Campaign - IGN - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- The humanities must have a role in overseeing AI censorship - Times Higher Education - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- YouTube, Trump Having Productive Discussions Over Censorship Case - The Information - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- 'Warned Not to Talk About It': Overseas Boys' Love Censorship Is Sending Young Women to Jail - Comic Book Resources - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- China is rushing to develop its AI-powered censorship system - Global Voices - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Gov. McKee signs Freedom to Read Act into law - Rhode Island Current - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- 'Ill-conceived from the beginning': Judge ridicules Trump admin for 'slapdash' censorship of public health websites - Law and Crime News - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- How censorship affects the artistic expression in film - Times of India - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- What is The Ready or Not Censorship Controversy? Review Bombing Explained - Insider Gaming - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Self-censorship and the spiral of silence - Insight News - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Louisiana wants to censor citizen science, but residents are fighting back - News From The States - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- The many complex truths within the censoring of youth parliament - The Spinoff - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Free Speech Victory in Australia for Billboard Chris as X post censorship overturned - Alliance Defending Freedom International - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Read this: Pixar's self-censorship of Elio's queer themes may have doomed it - Yahoo - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- China is rushing to develop its AI-powered censorship system - Global Voices Advox - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- 'The censorship is a step too far': Ready or Not is getting review bombed after developers sanitise the game to adhere to stricter console standards -... - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Keep Them On The Shelf - The Progressive - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- SCOTUS Ruling Condoning Book Censorship Is a Grave Misjudgment. - GLAAD - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Read this: Pixar's self-censorship of Elio's queer themes may have doomed it - AV Club - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- How the Internet Works, and How China Censors It - ChinaFile - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- New Study from ChinaFile | The Locknet: How China Controls Its Internet and Why It Matters - Asia Society - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- The Witcher, The Bad Batch, and Cosmic Censorship - GamingTrend - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- The Censor Board Is A Back-Door For Govt To Control The Film World: Director Of Stalled Movie On Slain Punjabi Activist - article-14.com - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Censorship? Ready or Not eliminates nudity and reduces violence to hit consoles - Toy News Online - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Ready Or Not Will Be Censored Before Launching On Consoles, And It Could Even Affect The PC Version - TheGamer - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Nonviolence and the Battle Against Self-Censorship - Pressenza - International Press Agency - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Kneecap Defy Censorship Threats with Provocative Glastonbury Set - Consequence of Sound - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- WATCH | Joseph Maximilliam Dunnigan On How Censorship Of Books Exists Across The World, From The US To China - Outlook India - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Artist Ai Weiwei: Democracy and freedom do not necessarily enable the creation of great art - - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Baihe and Danmei: Chinese GL and BL in an Age of Censorship - Daily Kos - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Death by a thousand cuts in Hong Kong - Index on Censorship - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- In an act of political censorship, Deutsche Bank terminates publisher Mehring Verlags account - World Socialist Web Site - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- The photographer using AI to reconstruct stories lost to censorship - The Verge - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Bernie Sanders Roasts Joe Rogan for Siding With Government Censorship - Cracked.com - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- JCDecaux and Global accused of 'censorship' of anti-HFSS campaign - Campaign - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Emergency Films: 6 Movies That Faced Bans and Censorship in 1975 - Deccan Herald - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Hotbed of digital censorship: MAGAs war with Ireland over freedom of speech - Newstalk - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Iran-Israel war: What tools are used to censor reporting? - DW - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- FTC Comments Accuse Big Tech of Widespread Censorship - The Daily Signal - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- How we are ending Irans and all other governments power to censor online - The Hill - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Amid Silence and Censorship, Alabama Students and Professors Reflect on a Year Under SB129 - ACLU of Alabama - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Iran-Israel war: What tools are used to censor reporting? - Yahoo - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Western Tech Companies Are Capitulating to Russian Censors. Here's How Russians Can Fight Back. - The Moscow Times - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Book censors and the Trojan horse of decency - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Censorship, arrests and merger of news agencies tools to control media during 1975 Emergency - The New Indian Express - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Tunnel Vision: Anti-censorship Tools, End-to-End Encryption and the Fight for a Free and Open Internet - Freedom House - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- A Banner Year for Censorship: More States Are Restricting Classroom Discussions on Race and Gender - The Chronicle of Higher Education - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- Advocates, Authors Call for Investigation Into Florida Book Removals Without Review | Censorship News - School Library Journal - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- From LA to Letcher County, Anna Gomez takes her anti-censorship crusade on the road - Daily Independent - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- Censorship into art: why Iranian director Jafar Panahis subversive stories are getting the worlds attention - Pancouver - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- How does Israel restrict its media from reporting on the Iran conflict? - Al Jazeera - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Censorship: See the National Park visitor responses after Trump requested help deleting negative signage - Government Executive - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Why defunding research on misinformation and disinformation isnt what Americans want - Fast Company - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Oscar entry, but banned at home: This Sunita Rajwars acclaimed film faces censorship in India - Times of India - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Why Is The EU Really So Scared of Hate Speech? - The European Conservative - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- PRESS RELEASE: In win for academic Speech, OK Supreme Court says higher ed is off-limits from censorship law - Oklahoma City Free Press - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- What are the 20 most controversial album covers of all time? - Euronews.com - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Whos the Boss? Trump and Springsteens war of words - Index on Censorship - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Censorship: Coming to a National Park near you? - Daily Kos - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Is Free Speech the New Price of Merger Approval from the FTC? - Public Knowledge - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Johnny Marr Backs Kneecap Ahead of Glastonbury Fest: 'Oppression Fears Artistic Expression' - Rolling Stone - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Censorship campaign defeated at Berlins Humboldt University: IYSSE anti-war events going ahead - World Socialist Web Site - June 16th, 2025 [June 16th, 2025]
- Tulane scientist resigns citing university censorship of pollution and racial disparity research - WDSU - June 14th, 2025 [June 14th, 2025]
- Facebook And Instagram Seem To Have Stopped Censoring Search Results For 'Marijuana' And 'Cannabis' - Marijuana Moment - June 14th, 2025 [June 14th, 2025]
- AI lies, threats, and censorship: What a war game simulation revealed about ChatGPT, DeepSeek, and Gemini - The Economic Times - June 14th, 2025 [June 14th, 2025]
- Tulane scientist resigns citing university censorship of pollution and racial disparity research - AP News - June 14th, 2025 [June 14th, 2025]
- When Hate Spreads Faster Than Truth, Should We Fight Fascism With Censorship? - Byline Times - June 14th, 2025 [June 14th, 2025]
- Opinion | The Government Can Silence Dissenting Opinions Without Using Censorship - Mississippi Free Press - June 14th, 2025 [June 14th, 2025]
- Supreme Court will decide cases on LGBTQ+ book censorship and reproductive health care access soon - Advocate.com - June 14th, 2025 [June 14th, 2025]
- The female TikTokers silenced through murder - Index on Censorship - June 14th, 2025 [June 14th, 2025]
- In 1973, I reported freely on Israel at war. Now its censorship has made that impossible | Martin Bell - The Guardian - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- The Right-wing Israeli 'Human Rights' Group Fueling Racism, Censorship and Violence Without Consequences - Haaretz - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- A smuggled North Korean smartphone reveals how the regime censors information, including screenshotting users activities every five minutes - Yahoo - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- Americans worry about AI in politics but theyre more worried about government censorship - FIRE | Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- Online censorship disguised as protection. Keep government out of social media. | Letters - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- The threat minorities face in Syria - Index on Censorship - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- Varun Grover on KISS: 'Idea of censorship comes from the society we've lived in' | Exclusive - OTTPlay - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast | Censoring lawmakers, T-shirts, and seashells - FIRE | Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]