Facebook, YouTube Remove Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro Video Linking COVID-19 Vaccine to AIDS

YouTube suspended the far-right leader for one week in addition to blocking the clip.

Advertisement
By Agence France-Presse | Updated: 26 October 2021 10:58 IST
Highlights
  • Bolsonaro has violated YouTube standards once before as well
  • The rest of his videos on the channel will remain accessible
  • The British government denied any such "reports" cited by Bolsonaro

Facebook, which took down comments late Sunday or early Monday, has removed Bolsonaro posts in the past

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro found himself in social media time-out Monday after his video warning of a supposed link between Covid-19 vaccines and AIDS triggered action by Facebook and YouTube.

Facebook removed the offending video, while YouTube went further, suspending the far-right leader for one week in addition to blocking the clip.

Advertisement

"We removed a video from Jair Bolsonaro's channel for violating our medical disinformation policies on COVID-19 by claiming that vaccines do not reduce the risk of contracting the disease and that they cause other infectious diseases," YouTube said in a statement sent to AFP.

Bolsonaro's latest run-in with social media networks including Facebook, on which he heavily relies to rally his base, came after he cited purported "official reports" from the British government — since debunked — in his weekly live address on Facebook last Thursday.

Advertisement

He claimed the reports "suggest that people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are developing Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome much faster than expected."

"I recommend you read the article," he added, without saying where the information came from.

Advertisement

"I'm not going to read it here, because I don't want to lose my Facebook live video."

Facebook, which took down the comments late Sunday or early Monday, has removed Bolsonaro posts in the past.

Advertisement

Earlier, it found he spread misinformation or incited people to violate social distancing policies. But this is the first time it has taken down one of his weekly live addresses, a cornerstone of his communications.

Bolsonaro has violated YouTube standards once before as well, and the company said the president will not be able to post new videos or do live broadcasts for seven days. 

The rest of his videos on the channel, where he has 3.5 million subscribers, will remain accessible.

The British government denied any such "reports" cited by Bolsonaro, in response to an AFP fact-checking team.

The Brazilian Society of Infectious Disease Specialists said in a statement there was no evidence of any relationship between COVID-19 vaccines and AIDS.

Bolsonaro's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The president has said he does not plan to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and joked in the past the vaccine could "turn you into an alligator."


What's most interesting about Apple's new MacBook Pros, M1 Pro and M1 Max silicon, AirPods (3rd Generation), and Apple Music Voice plan? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.
 

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. iQOO Z11x 5G Launched in India With a 7,200mAh Battery at This Price
  2. OTT Releases of the Week: The Taj Story, Aspirants S3, Sankalp, Zootopia 2, and More
  3. OnePlus 15T Appears in Livestream Ahead of Launch, Key Specifications Revealed
  4. Motorola Edge 70 Fusion+ Launched With Three Rear Cameras, 5,200mAh Battery
  5. Samsung Galaxy M17e 5G Price in India Leaked Ahead of March 17 Launch
  6. Nvidia's New Open-Source AI Model Is Designed for Agentic Workflows
  7. New Zealand Regulator Says NZDD Stablecoin Is Not a Financial Product
  8. Apple Patches Coruna Exploit on Older iPhone Models With Latest Updates
  1. Motorola Edge 70 Fusion+ Launched With Triple Rear Camera Setup, 5,200mAh Battery: Price, Features
  2. Metaplanet Announces JPY 4 Billion Venture Arm to Support Japan's Startups, Bitcoin Infrastructure
  3. India Prepares Smartphone Export Incentives in a Boost for Apple
  4. Nvidia Unveils Nemotron 3 Super Open-Source AI Model for Agentic AI Systems
  5. Daredevil Born Again Season 2 OTT Release Date: When and Where to Watch it Online?
  6. Madam Sengupta Hindi Dub Available for Streaming on This Platform: What You Need to Know
  7. Maamla Legal Hai Season 2 OTT Release Date: When and Where to Ravi Kishan Starrer Courtroom Comedy Online?
  8. Researchers Discover MediaTek Chip Vulnerability That Could Impact Millions of Android Phones
  9. Bonk.fun Domain Hijacked in Wallet Drainer Attack Designed to Target Solana Users
  10. PS Plus Game Catalogue Lineup for March Revealed: Space Marine 2, Persona 5 Royal, Madden NFL 26 and More
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.