• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechYouTube

YouTube is alone among big social media services in keeping Trump’s account open

By
Danielle Abril
Danielle Abril
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Danielle Abril
Danielle Abril
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 11, 2021, 4:37 PM ET

Our mission to make business better is fueled by readers like you. To enjoy unlimited access to our journalism, subscribe today.

There’s one holdout to the quick succession of social media companies banning President Trump: YouTube.

Trump’s account on the video-streaming service remains available after Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat banned him following the Capitol riots.

On Trump’s account, visitors can find clips from Fox News in which he, Donald Trump Jr., and Lara Trump riled up supporters at the rally critics say incited the riot.

YouTube explained its decision to keep Trump’s account active by saying it has a three-strike policy, which permanently boots users who violate the service’s policies within 90 days. But Trump has not received any strikes within the last 90 days, the company said.

One strike earns users a one-week suspension while two strikes come with a three-week ban.

“Our three-strikes system clearly outlines the penalty for violating our policies, from temporary restrictions on uploading or livestreaming to account termination for channels that receive three strikes in the same 90-day period,” Alex Joseph, a YouTube spokesperson, said in an email to Fortune. “We consistently apply these regardless of who owns the channel.”

Last week, YouTube removed one of Trump’s videos in which he said he understood the motivations of the rioters—all false—about the presidential election results being rigged. He also called the rioters “special” and said, “we love you.” But that didn’t count as a strike because YouTube’s updated election misinformation policy on Dec. 9 came with a grace period, the company said. That grace period ended on Thursday, the day after YouTube removed Trump’s video.

Last week, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and video-streaming service Twitch and others banned Trump “indefinitely” for violating policies against inciting violence. The companies say that the threat for incitement is still too great to allow Trump to remain on their services.

In response, many Trump supporters have flocked to other social media sites that are more lax when it comes to policing posts, including conservative social media site Parler. But Parler has since been shut down after Google Play and Apple’s App Store dropped Parler’s app, saying that violent talk was endemic on the service, and after Amazon’s Web Services unit cut off hosting its data.

Last week, former Trump sidekick Steve Bannon earned his third and final strike on YouTube, leading to a permanent ban of his popular podcast War Room. Bannon had previously called for the heads of Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top epidemiologist, and FBI director Chris Wray, in addition to repeating unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud.

Trump doesn’t use YouTube as often to speak directly to his followers like he did on Twitter and Facebook. His YouTube channel is mostly news clips from Fox News and C-SPAN, in which pro-Trump Republicans and White House spokespeople voice support for him.

But also on Trump’s YouTube page are some recent videos he recorded, including the speech in which he reiterates unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud. Additionally, the channel also includes videos from far-right news organization One America News Network, one of which claims to prove election fraud (it doesn’t).

On Monday, celebrities including actors Sacha Baron Cohen and Mark Ruffalo called on YouTube to join other social media services and ban Trump.

“Virtually every social media company has removed Trump…EXCEPT YouTube,” Baron Cohen tweeted. “Trump’s YouTube channel is STILL showing videos of his election lies to MILLIONS of people!”

About the Author
By Danielle Abril
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Elon Musk warns the U.S. is '1,000% going to go bankrupt' unless AI and robotics save the economy from crushing debt
By Jason MaFebruary 7, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Gen Z Patriots quarterback Drake Maye still drives a 2015 pickup truck even after it broke down on the highway—despite his $37 million contract
By Sasha RogelbergFebruary 7, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Even with $850 billion to his name, Elon Musk admits ‘money can’t buy happiness.’ But billionaire Mark Cuban says it’s not so simple
By Preston ForeFebruary 6, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Future of Work
Anthropic cofounder says studying the humanities will be 'more important than ever' and reveals what the AI company looks for when hiring
By Jason MaFebruary 7, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Russian officials are warning Putin that a financial crisis could arrive this summer, report says, while his war on Ukraine becomes too big to fail
By Jason MaFebruary 8, 2026
7 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Commentary
America marks its 250th birthday with a fading dream—the first time that younger generations will make less than their parents
By Mark Robert Rank and The ConversationFebruary 8, 2026
16 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Latest in Tech

InvestingVenture Capital
NFL legend Joe Montana lived around top VC execs as a 49er, then leveraged those ties to launch his second career as an investor
By Jason MaFebruary 8, 2026
10 hours ago
CybersecurityJeffrey Epstein
FBI found little evidence Epstein ran a sex trafficking ring for powerful men and concluded a ‘client list’ doesn’t exist
By Michael R. Sisak, David B. Caruso, Larry Neumeister and The Associated PressFebruary 8, 2026
11 hours ago
RetailEurope
Trump’s Greenland crisis triggered a surge in apps designed to help shoppers boycott U.S. goods, though few American imports are on store shelves
By James Brooks and The Associated PressFebruary 8, 2026
12 hours ago
nfl
CommentaryTV
The Super Bowl was made for TV and instant replay was made for visual AI. Here’s how it could be better and what it would look like
By Jason CorsoFebruary 8, 2026
13 hours ago
monkey
CybersecurityAnimals
One way AI won’t ruin the world: tools to crack down on the $23 billion animal trafficking trade
By Eve Bohnett and The ConversationFebruary 8, 2026
14 hours ago
heacock
CommentaryLeadership
I’m a CEO who grew a ‘boring’ air filter business into a $260 million company, and AI is going to help blue-collar, everyday people just like me
By David HeacockFebruary 8, 2026
15 hours ago