Google has admitted to censoring political speech under pressure from the Biden administration and pledged to reinstate thousands of banned YouTube accounts.
In a letter to the House Judiciary Committee, the company stated that the administration had pressured it to remove content despite that content not having violated YouTube’s policies.
“This was unacceptable and wrong,” the company stated.
The disclosure followed years of investigation led by Chairman Jim Jordan (R–OH). The committee subpoenaed Google earlier this year as part of its inquiry into Big Tech censorship practices.
According to the letter, Google will allow creators banned for political speech on COVID-19, elections, and related issues an opportunity to return to the platform. The company emphasized that “public debate should never come at the expense of relying on authorities.”
Google also said it will not rely on third-party fact-checkers. “We will never use third-party ‘fact-checkers,’” the letter noted. Instead, the company committed to transparency in its own enforcement policies.
The company further explained that future enforcement would rely on clear and consistent standards rather than shifting demands from outside actors. Google said it would publish more information about how policies are developed and applied.
The letter warned that censorship laws in Europe pose a growing threat to Free speech in America. Google argued that European rules pressure U.S. companies to remove lawful content, which could limit debate inside the United States. The company stated that it intends to resist policies that compel it to “take down lawful but disfavored speech.”
Google also acknowledged broader issues tied to competition in the digital marketplace. It noted that access to quality data drives artificial intelligence and online services, and efforts to restrict or hoard data could create monopoly advantages.