YouTube was notably slower than other major social media platforms in responding to concerns about former president Trump’s continued use of its service as a platform following the attack on the US Capitol last week. However, the platform has now implemented a temporary restriction on uploads.

In a brief statement shared on Twitter today, the Google-owned service announced the removal of recently uploaded content from Trump’s YouTube channel, citing “concerns about the ongoing potential for violence”.

The company also stated that a first strike has been issued, resulting in a temporary ban on uploads for a minimum of seven days.

As of this writing, the official Donald J Trump YouTube channel has accumulated approximately 2.78 million subscribers.

“Due to the continuing concerns regarding violence, we will also be indefinitely disabling comments on President Trump’s channel, mirroring actions taken on other channels where safety concerns have been identified within the comments section,” YouTube further explained.

YouTube was contacted for clarification regarding the specific content removed and the criteria for determining whether to extend the ban on Trump’s posting privileges beyond the initial seven-day period.

A spokesperson confirmed that content uploaded to the channel on January 12th was removed for violating policies against inciting violence. The platform indicated an elevated risk of violence, considering recent events and prior statements made by Trump.

The spokesperson did not specify the precise content of the video that led to the removal and the issuance of the strike.

YouTube indicated it is applying its standard ‘three strikes’ policy, where a channel receives permanent suspension after three strikes within a 90-day timeframe. A first strike results in approximately a week’s suspension, a second strike in around two weeks, and a third strike in channel termination.

Currently, Trump’s official YouTube channel features a series of recent uploads, including five clips from a speech delivered at the Mexican border wall, where he highlighted the “successful” completion of his 2016 campaign promise to ‘build the wall’.

In one video, titled “President Trump addresses the events of last week”, Trump refers to those who attacked the US Capitol as a “mob” and asserts that his administration “believes in the rule of law, not in violence or rioting”. He then transitions into a lengthy discussion about the pandemic and vaccine development.

The clip concludes with Trump’s appeal for “our nation to heal”, for “peace and for calm”, and for respect for law enforcement, claiming that law enforcement personnel are the foundation of the “MAGA agenda”.

Another earlier clip showing Trump speaking to reporters before his border wall tour remains accessible on the channel.

In this clip, the president criticizes the second impeachment process as “a continuation of the greatest witch-hunt in the history of politics”. Trump mentions Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, seemingly issuing a veiled but pointed warning.

He states that their continued pursuit of this path “is causing tremendous danger to our country and it’s causing tremendous anger”, before adding a final disclaimer that “I want no violence”. (However, the need to include such a disclaimer raises questions about the sentiments he is aware of fostering.)

While YouTube has chosen a temporary suspension of Trump’s platform, Twitter permanently banned the president last week following repeated violations of its civic integrity policy.

Facebook has also implemented what it describes as an “indefinite” suspension, leaving open the possibility of restoring Trump’s access to its tools in the future.

Until recently, YouTube had largely avoided the same level of criticism directed at other social media platforms for allegedly providing Trump with preferential treatment and a mainstream platform for abusive behavior, misinformation, and, most recently, inciting insurrection.

However, the temporary freeze on his account followed threats from civil rights groups to initiate an advertiser boycott of the platform.

According to Reuters, the Stop Hate for Profit (SHP) campaign—which previously led a significant advertiser boycott of Facebook last summer—had demanded that YouTube remove Trump’s verified channel.

“If YouTube does not agree with us and join the other platforms in banning Trump, we’re going to go to the advertisers,” Jim Steyer, one of SHP’s organizers, told the news agency.

In its official statement regarding the enforcement action against President Trump, YouTube does not mention any concerns about potential repercussions from its advertisers. However, the platform has faced prior advertiser boycotts over hateful and offensive content.

In supplementary remarks to reporters, YouTube also asserts that it consistently enforces its policies, regardless of the channel owner, and makes no exceptions for public figures. However, the platform has previously reversed a three-strike termination—for instance, reinstating the channel of UK broadcaster TalkRadio after it received a third strike related to coronavirus misinformation.

The channel’s reinstatement reportedly followed intervention from Rupert Murdoch, chairman of TalkRadio’s owner News Corp. UK ministers also defended the channel’s right to debate government policy.

In Trump’s situation, there are now few (GOP) politicians willing to publicly defend him given the events in Washington last week and the ongoing violent threats made online by his supporters.

Nevertheless, concerns about the substantial market power of tech platforms—and their ability to unilaterally suspend a US president’s ability to communicate with millions—remain widespread.

Earlier this week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel deemed Twitter’s ban on Trump “problematic”, while lawmakers in other European countries have stated it should lead to regulatory consequences for large tech companies.

Regardless of his overall legacy, Trump appears poised to have a lasting policy impact on the tech giants he is now criticizing for silencing him.