The FTC turns its watchful eye toward YouTube

Again, no specific accounts have been named, and the company hasn’t been formally accused of wrongdoing. Still, it’s not difficult to read between the lines, given this administration’s grievance-oriented use of the legal system. As Bloomberg points out in its reporting, Donald Trump’s account was banned for about two years from 2021 until 2023 over the insurrection. A number of accounts were suspended around the same time for spreading misinformation about COVID-19. 

Still, there’s a chance this investigation doesn’t go any further and no lawsuit is actually filed. If one does, YouTube could choose to settle the case—which would require a sign-off from the two Republican commissioners of the FTC—or it could choose to defend itself in court. YouTube declined to comment on the report, and the FTC’s Chair Andrew Ferguson said the leak of this news would be referred to the authorities but that it would “never stop or slow a single law-enforcement investigation or litigation at the FTC.”