Conservative Dan Bongino Gets Banned From YouTube for Life
On Jan. 27, the video-sharing service YouTube terminated all accounts associated with Dan Bongino. Why was he banned from YouTube?
Jan. 27 2022, Published 1:31 p.m. ET
Fans of right-wing pundit Dan Bongino won’t be able to watch him on YouTube anymore. On Jan. 27, the video-sharing service terminated all accounts associated with Bongino. Why was he banned from YouTube?
Bongino’s YouTube channels were permanently deleted for “circumventing our terms of service by posting a video while there was an active strike and suspension associated with the account,” YouTube officials said in a statement.
YouTube suspended Bongino for spreading misinformation about COVID-19.
YouTube warned Bongino about spreading misinformation about COVID-19, but he didn’t listen. Two weeks ago, YouTube reportedly suspended one of Bongino’s two YouTube channels for violating its COVID-19 medical misinformation policy.
The policy restricts content that contradicts local health authorities or the World Health Organization’s (WHO) medical information about COVID-19 regarding its existence, treatment, prevention, diagnosis, transmission, and even social distancing and self-isolation guidelines.
In a video posted to his YouTube channel earlier in January, Bongino claimed that cloth and surgical masks were useless in stopping the spread of COVID-19. On Jan. 14, after the video appeared, YouTube suspended Bongino’s account for violating its misinformation policy.
Bongino taunted YouTube to take action.
Apparently, Bongino couldn’t wait for his suspension to expire. Instead, he posted similar claims about the efficacy of masks in stopping COVID-19 to a second YouTube page. According to The New York Times, Bongino also taunted the video channel by posting a podcast episode titled “I’m Daring YouTube to Do This.” Bongino said that he would keep posting videos about his opinions on masks and dared YouTube to take action.
“When a channel receives a strike, it is against our Terms of Service to post content or use another channel to circumvent the suspension,” YouTube said in a statement.
Bongino is a Fox News host and popular conservative radio personality who has been very vocal about his opinions against COVID-19 vaccine mandates. According to the social media analytics website Social Blade, his main YouTube channel, the Dan Bongino Show, had 882,000 subscribers.
Social media is divided about YouTube's decision.
Conservatives and Bongino fans weren’t happy about the news.
“Now YouTube has permanently banned Dan Bongino — one of the most popular conservative stars around. Yet, the news media still pretend there’s no censorship of the right. Conservatives better wake up. The press never will,” tweeted Brent Bozell, the founder and president of the right-wing Media Research Center.
“The Left’s purge continues: -YouTube demonetizes Dan Bongino. -DirectTV drops One America News. -Twitter suspends Dr. Malone. Who’s next?” tweeted Ohio Republican Representative Jim Jordan.
On the other side of the political fence, many people were happy to see Bongino go.
“Adios, Dan Bongino. Good call on #YouTube's part” tweeted @crooksandliars.
“What an idiot. All he had to do was wait. Now he's gone from Twitterland for good. Try following the rules, Dan. Dan Bongino tried to sneak around YouTube suspension -- and now he's been permanently banned,” tweeted Walter Klingler.
Bongino plans to continue his show on Rumble.
Bongino pledged to continue his show on Rumble, which is a video-sharing service similar to YouTube.
“I’ve been banned for life by the communists at YouTube! In this episode, I address the controversy and the REAL reason behind the ban,” reads the description of the Dan Bongino Show episode “Banned for Life” on Rumble.