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Google Admits Censorship Under Biden; Will End Bans of Those Censored During COVID, 2020 Presidential Election

By  //  September 23, 2025

Acknowledged political pressure from Biden administration played a role in content removals

In a letter sent Tuesday to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, above, Alphabet’s attorneys admitted that the company acted under repeated pressure from White House officials to restrict certain discussions, even when posts did not violate internal policies. Google and its parent company, Alphabet Inc., have acknowledged that political pressure from the Biden administration played a role in content removals during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 presidential election, a move the tech giant now says went too far. 

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA — Google and its parent company, Alphabet Inc., have acknowledged that political pressure from the Biden administration played a role in content removals during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 presidential election, a move the tech giant now says went too far.

In a letter sent Tuesday to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, Alphabet’s attorneys admitted that the company acted under repeated pressure from White House officials to restrict certain discussions, even when posts did not violate internal policies.

The letter described those actions as “well-intentioned” but ultimately damaging to open debate.

“It is unacceptable and wrong when any government, including the Biden administration, attempts to dictate how the company moderates content,” Alphabet wrote, adding that such attempts undermined First Amendment principles.

As part of the reversal, Google announced that users banned from YouTube for content related to COVID-19 or election disputes will be allowed to return to the platform.

The acknowledgement follows a lengthy investigation by Rep. Jordan, who issued subpoenas to major tech platforms over their handling of political speech. His inquiry revealed that Biden aides urged companies to remove posts about election integrity and pandemic policy, while at times hinting at consequences for failing to comply.

During the 2020 election, YouTube removed thousands of videos and suspended accounts that questioned the results, later extending similar measures to COVID-19 content. High-profile figures, including Sen. Rand Paul, podcast host Jordan Peterson, former Fox News contributor Dan Bongino, and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., were among those penalized.

Google said it relied heavily on advice from health authorities when enforcing its pandemic-related policies, which remained in place through 2024. But in hindsight, company officials admitted those measures limited public discussion on topics of national importance.

Conservative publishers, such as The Federalist and ZeroHedge, also accused Google of unfair targeting through demonetization, with Federalist co-founder Sean Davis calling the company’s admission “too little, too late” after the publication suffered significant financial losses.

The Biden administration has faced mounting criticism over its role in pressuring social media firms. Court filings in a separate lawsuit accused federal officials of orchestrating one of the largest government-driven crackdowns on online speech in U.S. history. Although that case was dismissed, critics argue the revelations confirm long-standing concerns about political interference in Silicon Valley.

Google’s move to reinstate banned users marks a rare public reversal by a major tech platform and signals a shift in how the company plans to approach political and scientific debates going forward.