YouTube Axes Tenet Media’s Channel Without Due Process
YouTube recently removed Tenet Media and its affiliated channels from its platform following allegations from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding the company’s involvement in a covert Russian influence operation. The DOJ announced the seizure of several internet domains allegedly used in a campaign of foreign influence, leading to the indictment of Russian state media staffers for covertly funding Tenet Media to disseminate propaganda. This action comes amid ongoing scrutiny over YouTube’s content moderation practices, particularly regarding political content. Influencers associated with Tenet Media have distanced themselves from the allegations, claiming ignorance of the company’s connections to Russia. YouTube justified its decision as part of an effort to combat coordinated influence operations, and the investigation into the matter is ongoing. Critics argue that YouTube’s history of censoring content, particularly that which diverges from mainstream narratives, raises concerns about bias in platform moderation.
The widely used video platform YouTube removed Tenet Media and related channels from its services on Thursday after the Justice Department accused the company of partaking in a secret Russian influence operation.
The revelation comes days after the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the seizure of nearly three dozen internet domains it alleged were used in “Russian government-directed foreign malign influence campaigns colloquially referred to as ‘Doppelganger,’ in violation of U.S. money laundering and criminal trademark laws.” According to Fox News, the unsealed indictment alleged a pair of Russian state media staffers had been covertly funding a Tennessee-based, American content creation company identified in reports as Tenet Media” and other shell companies with the goal of spreading what the DOJ classified as “Russian government propaganda.”
The indictment contended that Tenet Media “published nearly 2,000 videos to social media platforms such as X and YouTube, and failed to inform viewers it was financed by the Kremlin,” the report reads.
Right-wing influencers such as Dave Rubin, Tim Pool, and Benny Johnson are among those affiliated with the company. Many of these figures have since denied knowledge of the company’s alleged ties to Russia and proclaimed to be “victims” of Moscow’s purported influence operation.
While litigation on the matter remains ongoing, YouTube seemingly viewed the existence of the DOJ’s allegations and presser as providing sufficient justification for unilaterally taking down Tenet Media’s channel. The Google-owned company also removed the channel of Tenet Media founder Lauren Chen and other affiliated accounts, according to Forbes.
Users who click on the link to Tenet Media’s YouTube channel are greeted with a blank screen and caption that reads, “This channel was removed because it violated our Community Guidelines.”
In a statement to Forbes, a YouTube representative said the Big Tech company axed the channels “as part of [its] ongoing efforts to combat coordinated influence operations” and that it was done after “careful review.” The Google-owned video service reportedly claimed it is continuing its investigation into the matter.
Regardless of what revelations are ultimately confirmed regarding Tenet’s alleged ties to Russia, YouTube has never needed a valid reason to censor content produced by non-leftists.
This was especially apparent during the Covid outbreak. The company announced in fall 2021 that videos of individuals questioning the government’s stance on the Covid shots would be removed from the web service. The announcement came months after the Biden-Harris administration publicly pressured social media outlets to crack down on those it claimed were purveyors of Covid “misinformation.”
As Susan Harris previously wrote in these pages, YouTube has faced accusations in recent years of censoring content “related to the Jan. 6 Committee and Covid vaccines, to climate change and public appearances by former President Donald Trump (presumably because he continues to question the results of the 2020 election.”
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