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FTC probes whether YouTube misled users after suspending accounts
The FTC inquiry, which has been running since last year, is in the final stages of preparing a potential lawsuit, with outcomes ranging from settlement to court defense.
The US Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether Alphabet Inc’s YouTube violated consumer protection laws after it suspended accounts, according to people familiar with the probe.
The investigation, which has been underway since last year, is examining whether users may have been deceived by YouTube’s content policies into signing up with an expectation that they could post certain material, only for content to be removed or accounts suspended later.
The people said the inquiry is scrutinizing whether YouTube followed its own user policies when it banned or demoted content. It is unclear which specific accounts the FTC review has covered, and the company has not been accused of wrongdoing, with investigations that may end without enforcement action.
If the FTC files a lawsuit, YouTube could potentially seek a settlement or defend itself in court. Any settlement would require approval from the agency’s two Republican commissioners, Chair Andrew Ferguson and Commissioner Mark Meador, and YouTube declined to comment.