YouTube reverses decision to ban talkRadio channel

Suspension came amid accusations of station spreading coronavirus misinformation

Video platform has a three-strike policy before a channel is officially removed (iStock)

TalkRadio’s YouTube page has now been reinstated after it was removed on Tuesday following accusations of circulating fake news.

The video platform suspended the radio station’s channel for breaching community guidelines, which were linked to rules around coronavirus misinformation, according to a statement issued by YouTube in which it said content material had been posted that contradicted expert advice about Covid.

Google-owned YouTube’s statement said: “TalkRadio's YouTube channel was briefly suspended, but upon further review, has now been reinstated.”

A spokesperson added: “We quickly remove flagged content that violate our community guidelines, including Covid-19 content that explicitly contradicts expert consensus from local health authorities or the World Health Organisation.

“We make exceptions for material posted with an educational, documentary, scientific or artistic purpose, as was deemed in this case.”

Earlier in the day, News UK-owned talkRadio said it had not been told why its account was removed from YouTube, adding in a later statement that it felt the video platform was “making decisions about which opinions the public are allowed to hear”, something it said “sets a dangerous precedent and is censorship of free speech and legitimate national debate”.

The radio station posted the statement, in full, to its Twitter channel for listeners to see. 

YouTube operates a three-strike system, where if a channel receives three strikes for posting content which is found to breach the site’s rules within a 90-day period, a channel is permanently removed.

Prohibited content includes “medically unsubstantiated claims” relating to Covid-19, the BBC reports, and videos that contradict expert consensus from health authorities such as the NHS.

YouTube has not confirmed if talkRadio had any strikes against its channel before Tuesday’s incident, according to PA.

The hugely popular platform has been under intense pressure, throughout the pandemic, to insure channels do not spread Covid misinformation - something it has taken extremely seriously. Last year, conspiracy theorist David Icke had his channel closed for making false claims about the virus.

Meanwhile the closure came at a disruptive cost to talkRadio, with live streams of radio shows unable to take place throughout Tuesday - as well as any links posted by viewers being broken until the suspension was lifted.