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
- Alberta Library Bill April 4: Youth Access Curbs Spark Censorship Fight - Meyka - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Grandmother Faces Trial in Alabama for Wearing Penis Costume to No Kings Protest - The Intercept - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Letter to the Editor: Who's Censoring Whom? - freebeacon.com - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Your Instagram reel is now news and the Govt wants to censor it - Newslaundry - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Indias new digital rules tighten the noose on freedom of speech - France 24 - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- White House Censors Toe-Curling Video of Trump Being Compared to Christ by Paula White - The Daily Beast - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Explained: Why Govt's Draft Social Media Rules Are Sparking Censorship Fears Union Govt has proposed amendments to IT rules which enable stricter... - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- New Laws Aim to Protect Kids Online. Why Are Some Privacy Advocates Calling Them Censorship? - Rolling Stone - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- The monster unleashed: How Hungarys illiberal vision is seducing the western world - Index on Censorship - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Teachers vow to fight book censorship in school libraries - The Telegraph - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Star Wars: The High Republic, Rogue, and Cosmic Censorship! - GamingTrend - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Proposed changes to IT Act for digital content is censorship | AI With Sanket - The Federal - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- School's 'removal of more than 100 books' reflects 'pressure on librarians' to censor stock - The Bookseller - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Wisconsin adopted an antisemitism definition into law. Critics say it could chill free speech. - WPR - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- The Hedgehogs Bow: Ottawas Unholy Alliance of Uranium and Censorship - ReligiousLiberty.TV - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Teachers demand end to school library censorship after school removed 130 books from shelves - lbc.co.uk - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- What If the U.K. Had Free Speech Like the U.S.? - Reason Magazine - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Trump's FCC Chief Says His Censorship Protects the Little Guy. It Really Serves One Powerful Man. - The Intercept - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Xiaoze Xie Preserves a Growing Collection of Banned Books in Porcelain - thisiscolossal.com - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- What Finland just did to a Christian grandmother is coming to America - Washington Examiner - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- I Wrote a Book About Censorship. Then People Tried to Censor It. - The Free Press - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- I Wrote a Book About Censorship. Then People Tried to Censor It. Plus. . . - The Free Press - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Where Did All the Books Go?: Student hosts conversation on censorship, book banning - The Daily Texan - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Serbian authorities must stop the spiral of violence against journalists - Index on Censorship - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- OP-ED: BUs AAUP documents a campaign of censorship on campus - The Daily Free Press - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Those who left the country during a period of turbulence. How a business daily coaches returning Russians in selfcensorship and rehearsed loyalty -... - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- PUNKN HEADS: a Punk Rock Love Letter to Being Young, Messy and Alive by Critically Acclaimed, Eisner-Nominated Creators Dave Baker and Nicole Goux -... - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Supreme Courts conversion therapy ruling could doom Democrat censorship in California - AOL.com - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Jana Nayagan censor row nears end: Thalapathy Vijays film likely to hit theatres in April last week - The Times of India - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- WonderCon 26: The new obscenity: How harmful to minor laws are criminalizing the comic shop - comicsbeat.com - April 1st, 2026 [April 1st, 2026]
- Dispatch Will Not Be Censored on Xbox, AdHoc Studio Still Actively Working With Nintendo on Switch Version Censorship - wccftech.com - March 30th, 2026 [March 30th, 2026]
- Trump's Escalating Attacks on the Media: Arrests, Raids, and the Threat of Self-Censorship. - The Fulcrum - March 30th, 2026 [March 30th, 2026]
- Cultural Leaders Speak Outside Kennedy Center on Censorship and Freedom of Expression in the Arts - upi.com - March 30th, 2026 [March 30th, 2026]
- Trump Isnt Just Bullying Journalists. Hes Subverting the First Amendment. - truthout.org - March 30th, 2026 [March 30th, 2026]
- Ai Weiwei, artist: "Although censorship in the West is different from that in totalitarian countries, the essence is the same" - El Mundo... - March 30th, 2026 [March 30th, 2026]
- The secrets Israeli censors are hiding about the Iran war - MSN - March 30th, 2026 [March 30th, 2026]
- The House of Bondage: The lewd movie that made an Oregon town form its own censorship board - Far Out Magazine - March 30th, 2026 [March 30th, 2026]
- Voice of America journalists sue feds over censorship and propaganda - Courthouse News - March 24th, 2026 [March 24th, 2026]
- Voice Of America Refuses To Be Trump's Propaganda Mouthpiece - HuffPost - March 24th, 2026 [March 24th, 2026]
- Inside the Trump administrations campaign to counter content bans in Europe - The Washington Post - March 24th, 2026 [March 24th, 2026]
- Wuthering Heights: A Tale of Passionate Love Censorship, and Class Struggle - Luxus Magazine - March 24th, 2026 [March 24th, 2026]
- Quiet book bans threaten freedom of expression in North Dakota libraries - News From The States - March 24th, 2026 [March 24th, 2026]
- Growing concerns over censorship show the need to support school libraries - Schools Week - March 24th, 2026 [March 24th, 2026]
- UPDATE: Rutherford County Library Director Refuses to Move 190 Books to Adult Section | Censorship News - School Library Journal - March 24th, 2026 [March 24th, 2026]
- IFF statement against the Alarming Escalation of Social Media Censorship and Proposed Expansion of Takedown Powers - Internet Freedom Foundation - March 24th, 2026 [March 24th, 2026]
- NymVPN's latest update brings crucial anti-censorship and usability boost but Apple users will have to be patient - TechRadar - March 24th, 2026 [March 24th, 2026]
- THE CENSORSHIP OF DREAMS to be Presented at La MaMa - Broadway Message Board & Forum - March 24th, 2026 [March 24th, 2026]
- Claims of censorship as artworks removed from exhibition - Bristol24/7 - March 24th, 2026 [March 24th, 2026]
- Why a judge eviscerating the Pentagon rules for censoring and punishing journalists is a victory for the press - 930 WFMD Free Talk - March 24th, 2026 [March 24th, 2026]
- TIMOTHY A. WISE - AGRA Exposed for Censoring Criticism of its Green Revolution - theelephant.info - March 24th, 2026 [March 24th, 2026]
- How Israels military censorship is shaping coverage of the Iran war | AJ #shorts - Modern Ghana - March 24th, 2026 [March 24th, 2026]
- Indias creative community is uniting to devise meaningful responses to growing censorship - The Hindu - March 24th, 2026 [March 24th, 2026]
- Explained : Is Israel Censoring What You See About the Iran War? - Haaretz - March 22nd, 2026 [March 22nd, 2026]
- Judge Asked To Reverse Donald Trump National Parks Censorship - Newsweek - March 22nd, 2026 [March 22nd, 2026]
- Moscow dials up censorship with new whitelist system - The Week - March 22nd, 2026 [March 22nd, 2026]
- Amid war, Pentagon quashing of reporter access is blatant censorship - Freedom of the Press Foundation - March 22nd, 2026 [March 22nd, 2026]
- Leading First Amendment Scholars and Litigators Call on FCC to End Unlawful Jawboning and Censorship Campaign - freepress.net - March 22nd, 2026 [March 22nd, 2026]
- Inside The Independent Ink: Mr. Fish on Free Expression, Censorship, and the Fight for an Unmuzzled Press - scheerpost.com - March 22nd, 2026 [March 22nd, 2026]
- Against the censorship of left-wing bookshops in Germany! Defend freedom of culture and expression! - World Socialist Web Site - March 22nd, 2026 [March 22nd, 2026]
- Chinas Censorship Is the Most Pressing Threat to Freedom of Expression - The Diplomat Asia-Pacific Current Affairs Magazine - March 22nd, 2026 [March 22nd, 2026]
- SXSW panels tackle censorship and funding in public media, the arts - CultureMap Austin - March 22nd, 2026 [March 22nd, 2026]
- Removing political art stifles the conversations universities need - North Texas Daily - March 22nd, 2026 [March 22nd, 2026]
- We need the world service more than ever - Index on Censorship - March 22nd, 2026 [March 22nd, 2026]
- America hunts EU 'censorship' proof as tech giants told to hand over vanishing messages - Cybernews - March 22nd, 2026 [March 22nd, 2026]
- 10 Films On Palestine To Stream In India Amidst The Censorship Of The Voice Of Hind Rajab - Outlook India - March 22nd, 2026 [March 22nd, 2026]
- Why is India banning the release of this Oscar-nominated Gaza drama? - Euronews.com - March 22nd, 2026 [March 22nd, 2026]
- Indias artist fraternity is uniting to devise meaningful responses to growing censorship - The Hindu - March 22nd, 2026 [March 22nd, 2026]
- Shortlist for $40K Canadian Political Writing Prize Includes Titles on Oil, Censorship, and Women's Rights - stl.news - March 22nd, 2026 [March 22nd, 2026]
- Dhurandhar: The Revenge dubbed versions delayed due to censorship issues; Ranveer Singh starrer to begi - The Times of India - March 22nd, 2026 [March 22nd, 2026]
- Books about oil, censorship and women's rights on shortlist for $40K Canadian political writing prize - CBC - March 22nd, 2026 [March 22nd, 2026]
- India bans 'The Voice of Hind Rajab', citing threats to relationship with Israel - Middle East Eye - March 22nd, 2026 [March 22nd, 2026]
- Free Speech Watchdogs Urge FCC Chair To Withdraw Threats To Broadcasters 03/23/2026 - MediaPost - March 22nd, 2026 [March 22nd, 2026]
- NetChoice in Court to Halt Arkansas Window Dressing to Online Censorship Law - NetChoice - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- Donald Trump Boasts About Crushing Legacy Media, And Newsom Mocks - Deadline - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- The Take: The hidden battlefield Censorship in the Israel-Iran war - Al Jazeera - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- On The Weeknight, Angelo Carusone discusses how Trumps attacks on reporters "create a culture of self-censorship" in the media - Media... - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- Opinion | Social Media Isnt Just Speech. Its Also a Defective, Hazardous Product. - The New York Times - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- Libraries urge residents to defend right to read amid rise in censorship - MidlandToday.ca - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- USFWS Moved To Censor Materials On Climate Change And Indigenous History - National Parks Traveler - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- Banned Books: New York writers and educators talk about the dangerous impacts of censorship on literature - amNewYork - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]