Two YouTube channels linked to the far-right extremist group Oath Keepers have been shut down by the site, the Google subsidiary said. axios. However, it wasn’t exactly because of the content of their videos, but because some of the group’s members were charged with seditious conspiracy for their role in the January 6, 2021 US Capitol breach. One of the deactivated channels was named ” Oath Keepers” and had less than 45,000 subscribers, while the other belonged to group leader Stewart Rhodes and had less than 20 subscribers. Rhodes (pictured above) was arrested for his role in the attack and was one of the members who were charged.
YouTube spokesperson Ivy Choi said axios that the channels violated the platform creator liability guidelines. Under these guidelines, YouTube can terminate a channel if there is “significant evidence presented in court against a creator for a very serious crime” and the “YouTube comment of the channel is closely related to the crime.” YouTube said the termination “follows evidence presented in federal charges against the Oath Keepers and the charges against them and their role in the January 6 attacks.”
According to the Justice Department, the Oath Keepers discussed their plans to take over the Capitol building using encrypted messaging apps and social media. The group has long used online platforms to spread information, including COVID-19 conspiracy theories with QAnon hashtags and threats of violence. Twitter banned the group in 2020 for violating its policies on violent extremist groups. In addition to removing two channels, YouTube will no longer allow Oath Keepers to create, use or own any other channel. In addition, it will remove re-uploads of your old videos and even delete new channels that try to reuse content from deleted accounts.
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