YouTube removes Jordan Peterson interview with RFK Jr. over 'vaccine misinformation'

YouTube removed a video of Canadian psychologist and podcast host Dr. Jordan Peterson interviewing Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for violating its ban on "vaccine misinformation."

A YouTube spokesperson told CNN on Tuesday that the video platform removed the interview because it banned "content that alleges that vaccines cause chronic side effects, outside of rare side effects that are recognized by health authorities."

YouTube began cracking down on information related to the COVID vaccine in 2021, but the video is still available on Twitter.

After the video was taken off YouTube, Peterson said the platform had "taken upon itself to actively interfere with a presidential election campaign." 

Kennedy tweeted Sunday about the video being banned: "It may be that @YouTube has broken no laws in this blatant interference in the electoral process. In that case, change will come only through public pressure. That’s democracy in action!"

"The real issue for Mr. Kennedy is regulatory capture and corporate influence over government. He is in favor of properly conducted, unbiased, transparent safety testing of all vaccines," the Kennedy campaign told Fox News Digital after YouTube removed the video.

Even though YouTube removed the interview, the platform did ease its policy on election misinformation. YouTube said earlier this month it would "stop removing content that advances false claims that widespread fraud, errors, or glitches occurred in the 2020 and other past US Presidential elections."

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.