Did YouTube ban video clips from the newly released movie, "Sound of Freedom" due to "discriminating against pedophiles" and "discrimination against MAPs"? No, that's not true: There is no policy listed under the community guidelines of YouTube regarding "discriminating against pedophiles" and "MAPs" (minor attracted persons). This article making the claim comes from an online platform known for publishing fabricated content.
The claim appeared in an article published by The People's Voice on July 19, 2023, titled "YouTube BANS 'Sound of Freedom' Clips Due to 'Discrimination Against MAPs' - The People's Voice" (archived here) which opened:
YouTube has begun censoring content that mentions the anti-child trafficking movie 'Sound of Freedom' because it 'violates community guidelines' by 'discriminating against pedophiles.'
Users on social media only saw this title, description and thumbnail:
YouTube BANS 'Sound of Freedom' Clips Due to 'Discrimination Against MAPs' - The People's Voice
YouTube has begun censoring content that mentions the anti-child trafficking movie 'Sound of Freedom' because it 'violates community guidelines' by 'discriminating against pedophiles.'
The article implies that YouTube explained taking action against certain videos for "discriminating against pedophiles and/or "MAPs," but the article provides no evidence to substantiate that implied claim that YouTube gave such an explanation.
There is also no evidence that YouTube has community guidelines in place that "prohibit discrimination against pedophiles and minor attracted persons," nor did YouTube "explain its decision to take action against or remove videos that correlate with the sound of freedom," as Google searches using those phrases show.
In viewing the community guidelines on the YouTube platform, nowhere does it mention any of the claims made in this article regarding banning users who "discriminate against pedophiles." The "Harassment & cyberbullying policies" webpage on the YouTube platform does list examples of content that is not allowed on the platform, which include "Targeting an individual and making claims they are involved in human trafficking in the context of a harmful conspiracy theory where the conspiracy is linked to direct threats or violent acts," "Repeatedly encourages abusive audience behavior," and, "Content that depicts a staged meet-up that is used to accuse an identifiable individual of egregious misconduct with a minor, without the presence of law enforcement."
There has been controversy surrounding the "Sound of Freedom" movie regarding its purported connection to the QAnon movement.
There is no evidence that media companies like YouTube have banned content mentioning the "Sound of Freedom" movie.
YouTube has its appeal process, which operates on a three-strike system, allowing users to receive an explanation as to why a video was taken down and how users could go about either having the videos republished or understanding why users can no longer publish content on the platform.
Lead Stories has reached out to YouTube via the Google platform and will update this fact check if a response is received.
The People's Voice
The People's Voice has a lengthy record of publishing false stories in the past. It describes itself as a resource "comprised of various web pages operated by Fact Checked Limited," but it has nothing to do with fact-checking.
As of this writing, its website contained a liability disclaimer, saying:
FACT CHECKED LIMITED AND/OR ITS SUPPLIERS MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE SUITABILITY, RELIABILITY, AVAILABILITY, TIMELINESS, AND ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION, SOFTWARE, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND RELATED GRAPHICS CONTAINED ON THE SITE FOR ANY PURPOSE. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ALL SUCH INFORMATION, SOFTWARE, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND RELATED GRAPHICS ARE PROVIDED 'AS IS' WITHOUT WARRANTY OR CONDITION OF ANY KIND.
NewsPunch
The People's Voice is among the most prolific online publishers of fake news. It started as YourNewsWire in 2014 and rebranded as NewsPunch in 2017. NewsPunch has published numerous fake news articles in the past, so anything it publishes should be taken with a large grain of salt. Its Facebook page, "The People's Voice", lost its verification checkmark, according to a 2018 report from Media Matters For America.
Other Lead Stories fact checks about "The People's Voice" can be read here.
