YouTube: Donald Trump can return when risk of violence abates

The former US president has been banned from other online platforms including Twitter and Facebook.

YouTube suspended Donald Trump following the January 6 US Capitol riots. Picture: AFP

Former US president Donald Trump will be allowed back on YouTube but only when the threat of his inciting violence abates, the head of the popular online video sharing platform said on Friday.

YouTube suspended Mr Trump’s channel in late January, joining other social media platforms in banning his accounts following the deadly January 6 Capitol riot.

“We will lift the suspension of the Donald Trump channel when we determine that the risk of violence has decreased,” YouTube chief Susan Wojcicki said during a streamed Atlantic Council think tank interview.

“Given just the warnings by the Capitol Police yesterday about a potential attack today, I think it is pretty clear that that ­elevated violence risk still remains.”

Ms Wojcicki said that when the Trump channel is reinstated, it will remain subject to the same “three strike” system as everyone else at YouTube.

Uploading videos that break YouTube rules such as those against inciting violence or falsely attacking election integrity would earn the channel more strikes and suspensions. Channels that get three strikes within 90-days are removed from YouTube. “This was the first strike,” Ms Wojcicki said of the Trump channel.

The Google-owned firm has faced criticism over its slow ­response following the violence in Washington, as well as the proliferation of conspiracy theories on the platform.

Mr Trump has been banned from other online platforms including Twitter and Facebook.

An independent board created by Facebook is reviewing the decision by the leading social network.

AFP