YouTube says that it did not ban Hansen’s main channel TaylerUSA which was deleted by its owner.
It’s worth noting that in the email YouTube sent to Hansen, YouTube told Hansen that he was not allowed to “access, possess, or create any other YouTube channels.”
Tayler Hansen, a prominent YouTuber and journalist associated with the ill-fated newsgroup Tenet Media, says he has been permanently banned from YouTube. This action comes in the wake of allegations that the company he was paid by was funded by those with ties to Russian state media.
YouTube has banned Hansen’s channel, despite Hansen not being accused of any wrongdoing.
Tenet Media, which aligns closely with the description of “Company 1” in a recent indictment by the US Department of Justice, is suspected of receiving financial support from RT, a state-controlled Russian media entity.
We obtained a copy of the indictment for you here.
The indictment, though not naming Tenet Media explicitly, alleges a shadowy $10 million effort spearheaded by RT to stir political unrest and division across various social media platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and X.
Hansen was among six key figures who were contracted by Tenet Media and the indictment refers to content creators being deceived about the source of the funding.
But following the indictment, in which Hansen is not named, not alluded to in a criminal manner, and in which no content creator is accused of knowing the source of the funding, YouTube suspended Hansen’s channel.
Hansen posted a video about the ban on X.
“I was banned with no explanation, even though the indictment states, you know, if these charges are true, these allegations are true, we’re all victims. The people that were host there and me as a reporter there,” Hansen said.
“It’s election season, baby. So, yeah, banned with no explanation. I wonder if they’re going to stop here, or are they just going to take it all the way? They’re going to ban anyone that was ever affiliated with his brand, um, which is absolutely mind-boggling to me.”
YouTube has yet to issue a reason for the ban.
