…Was earlier banned from TikTok, Instagram and Facebook

The YouTube channels associated with controversial online influencer Andrew Tate have been disabled as Google’s video website on Monday (August 22) joined Meta’s Facebook and Instagram in taking action against the accused misogynist.

Previously, other social media platforms such as TikTok and Twitter had banned Tate, a British-American former kickboxing champion, over violations of policies including those around hate speech or ideology.

YouTube said on Monday that it terminated channels associated with Tate over “multiple violations” of its community guidelines and its terms of service, including its hate speech policy.

“If a channel is terminated, the uploader is unable to use, own or create any other YouTube channels,” said Ivy Choi, a YouTube spokesperson. The company said it first took action against one of Tate’s channels in July because it had posted a video violating YouTube’s COVID-19 medical misinformation policies.

According to Bloomberg, a spokesperson for Tate said: “There is a running contradiction in today’s society where men are encouraged to speak and be open/honest with how they feel but are generally met with a negative response to their truth.”

The spokesperson added: “Banning Andrew Tate from these platforms might seem the answer, but it isn’t that simple. Removing Tate’s voice doesn’t allow for a kinder hate-free society.”

Tate had seen an astronomical surge in his notoriety in recent months with video clips of his controversial comments and interviews flooding social media platforms, particularly TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube.

Videos tagged #AndrewTate have been viewed 13.8 billion times.

On Google, searches for the influencer’s name have soared since April. On YouTube, the newly banned account had 768,000 subscribers in August. There is at least one other YouTube account associated with Tate that still appears to be live.

Hope Not Hate, a group based in Britain that organises against far-right extremism, launched a petition in August demanding that Tate to be banned from the major social networks.

Said the group: “The effect that Tate’s brand of vitriolic misogyny can have on the young male audience is deeply concerning. We also know that misogyny can be a gateway to other extreme and discriminatory views.”

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