YouTube suspends President Bolsonaro for a week for misleading video

YouTube took action against Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s channel on Monday after he published a video containing misleading information about the coronavirus. The video has been removed and the channel has been suspended for a week.

YouTube confirmed the suspension to Reuters. In a statement, YouTube said the video has been removed because YouTube’s terms do not allow misinformation about COVID-19 to be spread on the platform. In the video, Bolsonaro claims that corona vaccines are linked to the development of AIDS. The same video also appeared on Facebook and was taken offline there as well.

Bolsonaro has often spread misleading information about the corona virus. It’s also not the first time social media platforms have taken the president’s content offline. In July, YouTube also took videos from the president’s YouTube channel offline after he claimed that the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine helps against the corona virus. This has never been proven. Twitter has also reprimanded Bolsonaro for not following the rules.

The Brazilian president declined to comment on the suspension to Reuters. The president announced in January that he would not be vaccinated.