
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro during a June event in Brasilia, Brazil. Photo: Andressa Anholete/Getty Images
YouTube removed videos from Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's channel Wednesday for spreading pandemic misinformation, the tech giant said.
Driving the news: YouTube said a "careful review" found rule breaches concerning incorrect comments about face masks and hydroxychloroquine, which is proven to not work as a COVID-19 treatment, per a statement to news outlets.
- The action follows post takedowns by Twitter and Facebook last year over misinformation about the coronavirus.
The big picture: The far-right leader has frequently downplayed the virus — which has killed more than 545,600 people and infected nearly 19.5 million in Brazil, according to Johns Hopkins University.
- The Supreme Court has opened an investigation into his government's handling of vaccine contracts and the Senate is holding hearings that could lead to his impeachment, Noticias Telemundo's Marina E. Franco writes for Axios.
Go deeper: Pandemic meets political crisis as investigations hit Bolsonaro allies