Google-owned YouTube has announced that it will no longer remove content that promotes false claims of widespread fraud, errors, or glitches in the 2020 and previous US presidential elections.

In December 2020, the platform implemented an election misinformation policy centered on the integrity of previous US Presidential elections.

After two years, tens of thousands of video removals, and one election cycle, the company said in a statement that “we recognized it was time to reevaluate the effects of this policy in today’s changed landscape.”

“We find that while removing this content does curb some misinformation, it may also have the unintended effect of curtailing political speech without meaningfully reducing the risk of violence or other real-world harm” in the current environment.

The “ability to openly debate political ideas, even those that are controversial or based on disproven assumptions, is core to a functioning democratic society — especially during election season,” according to IANS.

“As with any policy update, we carefully considered this change,” it added.

This specific aspect of our election misinformation policy is only one component of a larger, more comprehensive approach to election support on YouTube. What remains constant:

Following the 2020 election, YouTube discovered that videos from authoritative sources such as news outlets were the most viewed and recommended election videos on the platform.

“All of our election misinformation policies remain in effect, including those that prohibit content aimed at misleading voters about the time, place, means, or eligibility requirements for voting; false claims that could materially discourage voting, such as those disputing the validity of voting by mail; and content that encourages others to interfere with democratic processes,” the company stated.

“We’ll have more details to share about our approach towards the 2024 election in the months to come,” it added.