Former Republican Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer reminded former Biden special assistant Dan Koh on Tuesday that the Biden administration had previously targeted free speech through social media censorship.
Google, YouTube’s parent company, announced Tuesday it would allow video creators banned for violating political speech guidelines an opportunity to return to the platform. While discussing the recent lifting of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension on CNN’s “The Arena,” Koh said Republicans were attempting to limit Kimmel’s speech.
“Let me ask you a question. If Joe Biden took down a prominent right-wing personality on TV for what he or she said, would you endorse that? I’m talking about a similar allegory of someone on TV right now,” Koh said. “Will you answer my question?”
“You’re hypothetical if the Biden administration went and jawboned, let’s say, social media platforms and de-platforming hundreds of conservatives?” Meijer asked. “No, that is literally what the administration that you serve did. Google just released all of the components.”
During the Biden administration, some content creators began speaking out against the COVID-19 vaccine and related mandates. YouTube quickly imposed policies restricting discussions about COVID-19, including treatments.
In a letter to the House Judiciary Committee, Google said that creators were removed from the platform for violating guidelines on election integrity and COVID-19 content. The company also said Biden officials “pressed” them repeatedly to remove content that didn’t violate policy but was labeled “misinformation” by the administration.