YouTube Suspends US Senator Rand Paul for Questioning the Effectiveness of Masks

Sophie Webster, Tech Times 11 August 2021, 05:08 pm

YouTube is keeping its pledge to the public that it will combat the spread of disinformation on its platform as the streaming service announced that it had suspended US Senator Rand Paul.

The Kentucky Republican is banned from the platform for seven days. This is due to the video he posted claiming that face masks are not effective in fighting COVID-19.

YouTube Suspends Senator Rand Paul for a Week

A YouTube spokesperson said that the suspension is considered the first strike on the channel, which means he can't upload for the next seven days.

The streaming service has a three-strike policy, and at the third strike, the channel will be shut down, according to NBC News.

YouTube has also suspended numerous channels with videos claiming that the vaccine "could kill you."

The spokesperson added that they apply their policies consistently across the site, regardless of the political views.

YouTube also makes exceptions for COVID-19 videos that have a context like countervailing views from health authorities, especially since the platform is pushing for the use of its fact-checking panel.

Also Read: Viral Video of 'False' COVID-19 Claims Removed on Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook

Meanwhile, Sen. Paul took his sentiments to Twitter and criticized the decision of the streaming service. He called the people at YouTube "leftwing cretins", and he pointed out that he was banned for a week over a video that quoted two peer viewed articles saying that face masks are not effective.

Sen. Paul called the suspension a "badge of honor." He then included a link to watch his video on a different platform, according to CNN.

YouTube revealed that the reason why Sen. Paul was suspended is that in his video, he said, "Most of the masks you get over the counter don't work." He also claimed that masks don't prevent infection, which is not true at all.

He also said trying to shape human behavior isn't the same as following the actual science, which tells us that "cloth masks don't work," which is also not true as per medical experts.

The suspension came on the same day that Twitter banned Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's account for seven days after she violated one of the rules on the social media platform.

On Aug. 9, Greene claimed that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no authority to approve vaccines. She tweeted that the vaccines were ineffective at reducing the spread of the virus and that it is failing because the COVID-19 cases are increasing again.

Twitter labeled her thread as misleading and prevented her from tweeting for a week in response to her tweets.

US Mask Mandate

Public health experts have shown studies proving the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. They stated that the vaccines protect people against severe cases of COVID, and it lowers their risk of being hospitalized.

While there are some breakthrough cases among vaccinated, there are only mild to moderate virus symptoms. The mortality rate is considerably lower compared to those who are unvaccinated.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC, and other public health experts have stated since the pandemic began that masks can help protect you against the spread of COVID-19, according to The New York Times.

As the cases of COVID-19 continue to rise and a new variant had been detected, the CDC is asking the public, even those that are vaccinated, to wear masks again both indoors and outdoors.