YouTube has suspended US President Donald Trump’s channel for at least a week amid issues more than “ongoing potential for violence,” producing it the most up-to-date platform to limit the president’s on the net activities.
The Google-owned platform stated it removed content that was uploaded on January 12 from the Donald J Trump channel for inciting violence, though it was not quickly clear which videos in query have been in violation.
“After careful review, and in light of concerns about the ongoing potential for violence, we removed new content uploaded to the Donald J Trump channel and issued a strike for violating our policies for inciting violence,” a YouTube spokesperson stated in an emailed statement.
Under the suspension, Trump’s channel is temporarily prevented from uploading new videos or live streams for at least seven days, though the channel remains live, YouTube stated.
Comments would be indefinitely disabled on the channel, YouTube stated. Under YouTube’s policies, a second strike would outcome in a two-week suspension, although a third strike would get the account banned permanently.
The move to curtail Trump’s social media activity comes following a mob of his supporters, urged on by his rhetoric, stormed the Capitol final week to attempt to quit Congress from certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s win.
Tech providers have moved to suspend Trump’s on the net postings, with Facebook and Instagram suspending Trump at least till the finish of his term and Twitter permanently banning his account. Other web pages, such as Reddit and Snapchat have also banned Trump. Online purchasing platform Shopify has pulled Trump retailers off its platform.
Companies like Apple and Google have also moved to ban Parler, a social networking web site preferred amongst Trump supporters, from their app retailers. Parler’s web site also went offline this week following Amazon ceased to provide hosting services to the organization.
“A minimum of seven days is an important and necessary first step by YouTube, and we hope they will make it permanent,” stated Jim Styer, CEO of media rating firm Common Sense Media.
“While it is disappointing that it took a Trump-incited attack on our Capitol to get here, it appears that all the major platforms are finally beginning to step up and take this important issue seriously and that policymakers and the public are committed to holding them accountable,” he stated.