YouTube
Defunded
China
US Election 2020YouTube demonetized The Epoch Times, an independent news outlet. While YouTube did not provide a reason or explanation, the outlet was founded by Chinese-Americans who fled communist China and now take a strong stance against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) in addition to favorably covering Trump’s presidency, both of which can help infer possible reasons for the demonetization. The Epoch Times posted the following statement on their website:
On Jan. 20, 2021, YouTube demonetized The Epoch Times’ account without prior warning or specific explanation as to why.
We are confident that our independent content meets the criteria of YouTube’s platform and will work with the platform to resolve any issues.
We are concerned, however, about the direction that YouTube has taken in recent months, which appears to be to increasingly limit freedom of speech and expression.
The founders of The Epoch Times are Chinese Americans who fled communist China and embraced their First Amendment rights here in the United States to create an independent and uncensored news organization. We believe that freedom of speech is the cornerstone of a free society and key for our republic to flourish.
The recent censorship by big tech companies in the United States has shocked the world. The image of our country as a leader in freedom is at stake. We hope that a leading company such as YouTube does not fail the expectations of the world’s people who look up to America for its freedom.