WASHINGTON — Google announced Tuesday that it was going to reinstate YouTube accounts banned for posting then-controversial content related to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a letter its attorneys sent to a House panel.
Users including FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, White House counterterrorism chief Sebastian Gorka and “War Room” podcast host Steve Bannon had all been permanently removed from the site in recent years.
Those channels once flagged for “repeated violations of COVID-19” and “elections integrity” policies adhered to by Google will now be “no longer in effect,” according to a letter reviewed by The Post from Alphabet’s chief counsel to the House Judiciary Committee.
The chief counsel Daniel Donovan also claimed in his missive to Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) that YouTube “never” prohibited posting related to COVID origins.
“YouTube takes seriously the importance of protecting free expression and access to a range of viewpoints,” Donovan wrote.
Alphabet also expressed appreciation for the “accountability” that Jordan’s panel provided through a years-long investigation into potential violations of First Amendment rights on its platforms.
