Rand Paul suspended from YouTube for 7 days after COVID mask claims

U.S. Senator Rand Paul has been suspended from YouTube for seven days after posting a video claiming masks are ineffective against COVID-19, a spokesperson for the platform said. 

"This resulted in a first strike on the channel, which means it can't upload content for a week, per our longstanding three strikes policy," a YouTube spokesperson told CBS News in a statement. "We apply our policies consistently across the platform, regardless of speaker or political views, and we make exceptions for videos that have additional context such as countervailing views from local health authorities." The Kentucky Republican tweeted that the suspension was a "badge of honor" on Tuesday and criticized YouTube for the decision. In a statement on his office website, Paul said in part, "this kind of censorship is very dangerous, incredibly anti-free speech."