YouTube removes videos from Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s channel for COVID-19 misinformation

YouTube on Wednesday removed a number of videos from the channel belonging to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for spreading misinformation about the coronavirus, the tech giant said in a statement.

YouTube said that it applied its policies equally across its platform and had removed the videos without consideration of Bolsonaro’s political ideology or job.

Bolsonaro’s YouTube channel has over 3 million subscribers and he uses it to host a weekly program where he takes questions from viewers. He regularly speaks about his doubts about the severity of COVID-19, his belief in the effectiveness of unproven or disproven treatments, and his disdain for stay-at-home orders.

Brazil has had one of the world’s largest and deadliest coronavirus outbreaks, and its far-right president has faced criticism for his handling of the crisis. In April, Brazil’s congress launched an inquiry into his response to the pandemic.

Last year, both Facebook and Twitter removed posts Bolsonaro where he criticized social distancing measures and promoted false remedies for COVID-19.