YouTube may lift Donald Trump’s suspension, if the threat of “real-world violence” decreases, Susan Wojcicki, the platform’s CEO, has said.
She said the company will look at government warnings and violent rhetoric to determine when it’s safe to lift the suspension.
Following the Capitol Hill riot on January 6 that left five dead, Donald Trump’s account was suspended.
YouTube said the former president had violated their incitement of violence policy.
President Trump Permanently Suspended from Twitter
Pro-Trump Protesters Storm Capitol Building
Susan Wojcicki said during an interview with the Atlantic Council on March 4: “It’s pretty clear that right now where we stand, that there still is that elevated risk of violence.”
She clarified that Donald Trump’s conduct had not led to a full ban on the platform.
YouTube operates under a three strike system and an account must receive all three strikes within 90 days to be permanently removed.
The suspension in January was Donald Trump’s first strike.
Rudy Giuliani, the former personal attorney to Donald Tump, received his second strike earlier this week for claiming the 2020 presidential election was stolen.
Typically, a first strike results in a seven day suspension of an account, but Donald Trump’s has been prolonged due to a continued risk of violence.
After a large group of pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building on January 6, the former president was banned across many social media outlets.
Donald Trump was banned from Twitter and suspended from Facebook.
Facebook’s Oversight Committee is currently looking at whether that suspension should be made permanent – however it’s not yet clear when they will rule.
Criminal charges have been filed for a reported 221 people involved in the Capitol riot.
