Craig Kelly rebukes Google and Facebook for removal of his content at social media inquiry

A Google representative has told an inquiry that the same community guidelines that apply to the public apply to public figures such as United Australia party leader, Craig Kelly. Photograph: Flavio Brancaleone/AAP

United Australia party leader Craig Kelly has used a parliamentary inquiry on social media and online safety to take Google and Facebook to task over the removal of his party’s videos from YouTube and his ban from Facebook for pushing unproven treatments for Covid-19.

United Australia Party has spent close to $5m advertising its videos on YouTube since Kelly became leader of the party in August, accounting for about 98% of all political ad spend on YouTube in Australia during that time. YouTube has not banned the account or ceased taking money from the party, but it has removed a number of the party’s videos for allegedly violating its community guidelines.