YouTube regularly censors videos, demonetizes creators, and introduces new censorship rules. Yet in a recent interview, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki claimed that the platform wants to enable “as much free speech as we possibly can have.”

Wojcicki made the comments during an interview with Indonesian journalist Najwa Shihab when she was asked for YouTube’s view on governments using regulations to curtail free speech. In her response, Wojcicki framed YouTube as a free speech champion.

“In general, we wanna enable political speech. So…when we do get requests that would involve suppression of political speech, that’s a place where…we’re very…hesitant or resistant to removing it,” Wojcicki said.

She continued by adding the caveat that “every case depends on what’s happening” before making an even bolder claim about YouTube’s supposed free speech values:

“We want to enable people to express their points of view and enable as much free speech as we possibly can have.”

Wojcicki followed up by claiming that YouTube also stands up for free speech against non-democratically elected governments.

YouTube Censorship

YouTube was doubtless a good idea when it started. I expect the originators may have had good intentions – they, perhaps, hoped to provide members of the public with a place for new ideas and for discussion. But I fear that the platform has allowed itself to become a tool of the devil-worshipping oppressors who are working hard to destroy mankind.

If you do stupid things on roller skates or leap out of a tree into a vat of blancmange then your videos will be safe. YouTube doesn’t censor the puerile or the pathetic.

But the platform’s censors do not approve of facts, free speech, original thought or any sort of public debate.

The blancmange and the roller skating gerbils are fine. But anything which includes facts and opinions is likely to find itself on the equivalent of the cutting room floor.

The pathetic lies and abuse from corrupt doctors and fraud happy drug companies are never touched. The feeble-minded trolls are easily ignored – the trolls who so eagerly spread libels are clearly a bunch of ignorant half-wits. Their lies and deceptions are blatant and laughable. Talking of abuse, I have a fine collection of screenshots of libellous remarks made on the pages behind my Wikipedia entry. Excellent and useful evidence.

But in theory the censorship of free speech is threatening the last remaining vestiges of our freedom. And in practice too.