Google plans to reinstate several YouTube accounts that were previously deleted for content related to the COVID-19 pandemic and US elections. The announcement was made in a legal statement sent to the House Judiciary Committee, highlighting how political pressure shaped earlier decisions.

According to the filing, accounts removed under integrity rules that are no longer in effect will be given a chance to return to the platform. The bans had affected not only private users but also prominent conservative figures, including Deputy Director of the FBI Dan Bongino; Head of the White House’s counterterrorism office Sebastian Gorka; and Steve Bannon, host of the War Room podcast and former adviser to Donald Trump.

The company acknowledged that political influence played a role, stating that YouTube values conservative voices but had come under direct pressure from US officials. The document specifically points to senior members of the Biden administration, who, it claims, repeatedly lobbied Alphabet to act against pandemic-related content, even when it did not violate platform rules.

Google framed its current move as a commitment to free expression, stressing that creators should not remain excluded from the platform under outdated standards. The filing, however, did not provide a timeline for when the reinstatements would take place.

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