A.G. Gancarski
Though the 2022 race for Governor hasn’t formally started, Friday saw a new line of attack from one of Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ potential challengers.
Democratic Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried castigated DeSantis for “endangering children” in a tweet spotlighting YouTube pulling a video of a roundtable the Governor held last month on coronavirus-related issues.
“We should find a Governor who doesn’t get banned from YouTube for endangering children with conspiracies,” Fried snarked, spotlighting an article on the matter that offered a fairly detailed explanation of YouTube’s content removal process.
Florida Politics reached out to DeSantis’ office for comment on Fried’s claim Friday morning but did not receive a response.
TheWrap reported “the video was removed due to multiple instances where the doctors said children didn’t need to wear masks. This position, a YouTube rep said, violated the Google-owned video site’s ‘COVID-19 medical misinformation’ policies.”
“YouTube has clear policies around COVID-19 medical misinformation to support the health and safety of our users,” read the full statement. “We removed AIER’s video because it included content that contradicts the consensus of local and global health authorities regarding the efficacy of masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We allow videos that otherwise violate our policies to remain on the platform if they contain sufficient educational, documentary, scientific, or artistic context. Our policies apply to everyone, and focus on content regardless of the speaker or channel.”
TheWrap report singled out a number of moments as objectionable to censors, including Harvard professor Dr. Martin Kulldorff‘s assertion that “children should not wear face masks.” Similar tut tuts were earned by Stanford’s Jay Bhattacharya‘s claim that masks are “developmentally inappropriate” for children, and Dr. Scott Atlas denying the existence of a “scientific rationale or logic to have children wear masks in schools.”
The roundtable, though it happened last month, has drawn renewed scrutiny, with two Florida progressive groups, Progress Florida and Florida Watch, presenting the event as a tragicomic farce in new creative.
Even as progressives derided the roundtable and celebrated the removal of the file, leading Republicans, including a Florida Senator, warned of the chilling precedent set.
“The day is coming when even those who agree with this move will regret the power concentrated into the hands of these unelected gatekeepers of the public square,” bemoaned Sen. Marco Rubio.
Sen. Rick Scott thus far has not commented, however.
We should find a governor who doesn't get banned from @YouTube for endangering children with conspiracies. https://t.co/F974uum9FX
— Nikki Fried (@nikkifried) April 9, 2021
8 comments
Frankie M.
April 9, 2021 at 11:19 am
When I want to know what Ronnie thinks about masks I’ll ask Trump. When I want to know what Trump thinks I’ll ask his caddy in charge of his twitter account. What? He doesn’t have a twitter account anymore?? So what does his caddy do now?
tom palmer
April 9, 2021 at 7:12 pm
Marquito, there have always been gatekeepers. Now they just seem to be on the other side. Siento.
James Robert Miles
April 11, 2021 at 11:50 am
ANYBODY but DeSatan in 2022!!
NY'r
April 12, 2021 at 12:11 pm
Perhaps you want Cuomo to bankrupt your state too
Arthro
April 12, 2021 at 9:43 pm
Nikki Fried is a joke. Desperation candidate who got nothing. DeSantis is the best Governor 5he state has ever had. Democrats and 5he media are desperate to take him down.
Crys
April 13, 2021 at 1:39 am
That is right if you ever want to make your state a mess, elect a Democrat. Cuomo, Newsom, Whitmer made NY, California and Michigan a mess. Everyone wants to get out. Don’t let it happen to Florida. Vote Desantis.
James Robert Miles
April 13, 2021 at 7:44 am
If you want chaos in government, keep electing the GOP which is out to restrict voters rights, eliminate peaceful protest and let people die from disease with their incompetence~ DeSatan is the worst Governor in Florida history! ANYBODY but DeSatan in 2022!!
Ron Ogden
April 13, 2021 at 9:41 am
Need to see editorial bias in this blog? Just look at the lead photos. I don’t mind editorializing with art, but please don’t be so thumping obvious about it. I mean, a little grace in practice–it doesn’t cost anything.
Comments are closed.