Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has been suspended from YouTube for a week for posting a video that falsely claims masks don’t work to limit the spread of COVID-19.
The conservative Republican called it a “badge of honor” to be bounced from the social media platform, which he accused of censoring him.
“This kind of censorship is very dangerous, incredibly anti-free speech, and truly anti-progress of science,” Paul said.
YouTube initially yanked a video posted by Paul of an interview in which he falsely claimed that masks are ineffective in limiting the spread of the deadly virus.
It suspended him for a week after he posted another video claiming that neither cloth masks nor surgical masks can prevent transmission of COVID-19.
“We apply our policies consistently across the platform, regardless of speaker or political views,” a YouTube spokesperson said.
Paul has been one of the most outspoken opponents of public health measures to limit the spread of the pandemic.
He refuses to wear a mask in public and says he doesn’t need to be vaccinated because he previously contracted COVID-19 and recovered.
Doctors say being infected before does not necessarily protect one from contracting COVID again, especially since new variants of the virus may evade natural antibodies.
