Tech

YouTube extends Trump suspension for another week

Key Points
  • YouTube said it will extend its suspension of President Donald Trump's channel for another week.
  • It comes after the company placed his account on temporary suspension for seven days, which would have lifted Tuesday.
  • Trump's account remains accessible but he is banned from uploading new content.

In this article

Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube.
Michael Newberg | CNBC

YouTube is extending President Donald Trump's channel suspension for a week longer than its previous temporary suspension.

The Google-owned company confirmed to CNBC the extension Tuesday, citing a potential for ongoing violence. Donald Trump's YouTube account has 2.79 million subscribers and, prior to the suspension, typically posted several videos a day from him and from right-wing media stations.

The company is also going to continue banning comments from showing on videos posted within his channel. The temporary suspension means Trump's account and existing videos will remain accessible but he won't be able to upload new content for a minimum of seven more days.

Last week, Google suspended Trump's YouTube account and formally warned the White House about its use of the world's largest video platform after the deadly violence at the U.S. Capitol by some Trump supporters in early January. The company normally has a three-strike rule and the first strike results in a temporary account suspension.

The extension comes ahead of Inauguration Day, where the U.S. will transition power to the next president, Joe Biden. Countrywide, law enforcement and social media companies alike have been bracing for potential further organized violence.

YouTube enacted Trump's first strike after he and The White House account uploaded a video during the Jan. 6th insurrection that featured him doubling down on false allegations of a stolen election. YouTube said it violated policies that prohibit content for inciting violence.

In a new video posted Tuesday afternoon titled "Farewell Address of President Donald J. Trump," Trump appeared to get around his upload ban by posting it from The White House's YouTube channel, which has fewer subscribers but is still active.

The company has historically taken a more hands-off approach than competitors when it comes to content moderation. By the time YouTube gave Trump its first strike, Twitter and Facebook had already banned Trump indefinitely.