**Google to Reinstate YouTube Accounts Banned for Political Speech Amid Pressure from Biden Administration**
Google announced Tuesday that it will reinstate YouTube accounts permanently banned for political speech, including those related to COVID-19 and election content. The company acknowledged it faced pressure from the Biden administration to remove certain material from the platform, according to a report by Fox News.
The policy change was outlined in a document submitted to the House Judiciary Committee, obtained by Fox News Digital. This filing represents a significant reversal for YouTube, which is owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet. The update could impact both everyday users and high-profile figures such as FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, White House counterterrorism chief Sebastian Gorka, and War Room host Steve Bannon.
Reflecting its commitment to free expression, YouTube stated it will give all creators the opportunity to rejoin the platform if their channels were terminated for repeated violations of COVID-19 and election integrity policies that are no longer in effect. Google’s lawyer emphasized this point in the letter to the committee.
Dan Bongino, a well-known conservative personality on YouTube, was banned in 2022 for what the platform labeled as COVID-19 misinformation. Following the ban, Bongino moved his broadcasts to Rumble before ending his program after joining the Biden administration earlier this year.
The document also acknowledged that YouTube values conservative voices on its platform and recognizes their influence in public debate. However, it revealed that Biden administration officials pressured Google behind the scenes during the pandemic.
According to the filing, “Senior Biden Administration officials, including White House officials, conducted repeated and sustained outreach to Alphabet and pressed the company regarding certain user-generated content related to the COVID-19 pandemic that did not violate its policies.” The report added that the administration created a political atmosphere aimed at influencing platform actions.
Google emphasized that, while it enforced content moderation according to its own internal rules, many of those policies have since been rolled back.
This disclosure comes amid a Republican-led investigation into allegations of censorship by big tech platforms related to COVID-19, the 2020 election, and Hunter Biden. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, also admitted it faced similar pressure from the Biden administration and subsequently abandoned its third-party fact-checking program.
Republicans have pursued the censorship issue in court as well. A lawsuit filed by two GOP state attorneys general challenged the administration’s involvement in social media moderation. Although lower courts sided with the plaintiffs, describing the government’s actions as resembling an Orwellian “Ministry of Truth,” the Supreme Court dismissed the case on standing grounds in *Murthy v. Missouri*.
Meanwhile, the debate over government influence on media was reignited following late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s controversial remarks about Charlie Kirk’s assassination. While ABC briefly suspended Kimmel, the FCC’s involvement drew new attention to “jawboning” — a practice where government officials pressure private companies to act on speech.
In addition to addressing censorship concerns, Google criticized European Union regulations such as the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act. The company warned that these measures impose a disproportionate regulatory burden on American companies.
Finally, Google informed lawmakers that it intends to remain vigilant against foreign legal obligations that could affect U.S. users, reaffirming its commitment to protecting the interests of its American audience.
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*For more updates on tech policies and freedom of expression, stay tuned.*
https://www.lifezette.com/2025/09/google-to-reinstate-banned-youtube-accounts-after-pressure-from-biden-admin-revealed/
