A Republican gubernatorial candidate in Michigan claims to have been permanently banned from YouTube.
Garrett Soldano, an anti-lockdown activist who hopes to be the Republican Party’s flagbearer for the Michigan Governor race next year, was permanently banned from YouTube on Monday.
The notice from the Google-owned platform said his channel was suspended for “severe or repeated violations” of the community guidelines, but did not specify.
Soldano, who is a chiropractor, has been critical of the Michigan government’s response to the pandemic, and a vocal anti-lockdown activist.
More recently, he has made several claims that YouTube often opposes – including that kids should not be forced to wear masks and that people who have recovered from COVID-19 have some natural immunity.
YouTube prohibits content that contradicts the World Health Organization.
“This is yet another example of Big Tech oligarchs silencing conservative voices,” Soldano said in a press release. “As a grassroots candidate for governor, we rely on platforms to connect with voters and share our message, and our campaign has been targeted repeatedly by liberal social media giants.”
Soldano is among the 11 Republicans in Michigan who have begun fundraising for their campaign for the seat of governor next year.
