US FTC probes YouTube over blocking and reducing content visibility
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is examining whether YouTube may have violated consumer protection laws by suspending user accounts. As Channel NewsAsia reports, citing Bloomberg News, the regulator is in the final stages of preparing a possible lawsuit.
Subject of the review
According to Bloomberg News, the FTC has been investigating YouTube, the video platform owned by Alphabet, since last year. The commission is determining whether the platform followed its own user rules when it blocked content or reduced its visibility.
The investigation also concerns whether YouTube’s rules may have misled users. This involves cases in which people signed up for the service believing they could publish certain materials, but the content was later removed or their accounts were suspended.
Status of a possible lawsuit
It is unknown which specific accounts are covered by the review. According to Bloomberg News, YouTube has not been accused of wrongdoing, and the investigation may end without enforcement action by the FTC.
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The review is being conducted by lawyers from the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection under the leadership of Director Chris Mufarridge. Some career staff at the commission, according to Bloomberg News, privately disagree with filing a lawsuit.
Parties’ reactions
FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson had previously signaled increased scrutiny of how online platforms enforce rules on speech. YouTube declined to comment, while the FTC did not immediately respond to a Reuters request.
An FTC spokesperson did not comment to Bloomberg on the information about the investigation, but said leaks would not stop or slow down any commission investigation or legal proceeding. According to the spokesperson, the leaks will be referred to the appropriate authorities for review.
