GOP Sen. Johnson seeks answers from YouTube on COVID-19 censorship

Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson wants YouTube to explain the origins of its COVID-19 disinformation policies after the video giant twice censored him for his positions on pandemic policy.

In a letter to to CEO Susan Wojcicki, Johnson asserted that the company had "suspended [him] twice for advocating for the early treatment of COVID-19, opposing vaccine mandates for children and workers, and advocating for the vaccine injured."

The senator then provided Wojcicki with a timeline of five major instances in which the platform either removed content from his channel related to COVID-19, suspended his account directly, or suspended journalists who posted interviews with him discussing the pandemic.

"YouTube has displayed a troubling track record of censoring a sitting United States Senator, the proceedings of the United States Senate, journalists that interview me, and the display of data that is entirely generated from U.S. government health agencies," he continued.

The Wisconsin Republican then cited a commitment from YouTube Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan who promises to divulge the origins of the company's misinformation policy. To that end, Johnson asks that YouTube provide him with a comprehensive breakdown and the federal agencies and personnel with which the video giant worked to develop its guidelines.

Moreover, Johnson asks for all documents and communications involving YouTube's censorship decisions against him and his affiliates. He also asks the firm to provide examples in which it censored President Joe Biden or any Biden administration account along similar lines, should they exist.