YouTube Springs Into Action: No “Birther” Videos Allowed in 2020 Election
A lot of things are pretty messed up this election season in the U.S. of A., but at least YouTube is taking some timely action to shut down one of the worst racist conspiracy theories circulating on the right: YouTube: No ‘birther’ videos allowed.
Google also said Monday that it will remove any videos that advance false claims about whether political candidates and elected officials are eligible to serve in office. That had been policy before, but wasn’t made explicit.
The company’s announcement comes about nine years after celebrity businessman Donald Trump began to get notice for claiming that Barack Obama, the nation’s first African American president, was not born in the United States.
Trump repeatedly voiced citizenship doubts even after Obama produced his long-form birth certificate. Trump only fully backed off from the idea in the final stages of his 2016 presidential campaign.
Man oh man, that was close. Imagine what it would be like if we somehow had a president who was a Birther. Thanks, YouTube.