Jordan Peterson condemned YouTube for allegedly censoring him and his daughter on the platform, with their names not autofilling under searches, and he called for Elon Musk to speak out on the matter.
Peterson has a loyal social media following, with his fans on X, formerly Twitter, rallying behind his blasting of the video-sharing platform on Monday.
Taking to X, Peterson shared his outrage with his 5 million followers, alluding to YouTube sabotaging his and his daughter Mikhaila Peterson's content. In his post, he called upon Musk to speak out as the issue aligned with his messages on free speech and censorship.
The Canadian psychologist and influencer has been dubbed controversial by some. He has used his digital platform to speak out on matters against individuals such as Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden, stating that Donald Trump will win the next election, and several celebrities after the Golden Globes.
His YouTube channel boasts 7.7 million followers, and he has interviewed notable outspoken guests such as Ben Shapiro, Laurence Fox, and Matt Rife.
On X, Peterson said: "The saboteurs at @youtube have disabled autofill for my name and that of my daughter. These pathological shadow-figures are messing with the very structure of our perceptions (what we see in the virtual world) and with the stability of weights and measures themselves.
"What's up @YouTube? This is not acceptable. Take note, if you care to @elonmusk. This is precisely the problem you are trying to solve."
At the time this article was published, his message had been viewed over 794,000 times by users of the app and secured over 1,000 comments and 19,000 likes.
An onlooker suggested shifting to another platform: "Jordan, You're worth millions. Why don't you use new tech? I bet @rumblevideo would put your video on the front page every time! :) Want me to connect you with them? I would be happy to."
Rumble is an online video platform used by notable figures such as Russell Brand and Trump.
One of his fans was outraged at the situation: "Holy s***, I just checked, and he's 100% correct. I even follow his account and I can't get an auto fill. I literally typed Jordan Pete and NOTHING."
A spectator added: "The only possible way to make them change course is loss of revenue. History will look back on Elon's purchase of Twitter as one of the greatest factors in turning all this madness around. Transition to X so the future is bright for everyone...."
One of his followers said: "It appears to be the name 'Peterson' actually. 'Oscar Peterson' also fails to auto-complete. As well as just the word 'Peterson' to which he replied: "But it's obviously time for the Petersons of the world to unite against the tyrannical imperialists. We have nothing to lose but our chains."
Newsweek has contacted YouTube's press team and Jordan Peterson's legal representative via email for comment.
This isn't the first time Peterson has had issues on social media platforms after sharing his views.
In 2022, he was suspended from X over a 2022 post about transgender actor Elliot Page, where he deadnamed The Umbrella Academy star and said he would "rather die" than remove the post, in a 15-minute Instagram video.
In October last year, he remarked that a "coordinated attack" led to his Instagram account being suspended, and although he didn't specify what the alleged attack consisted of, users appeared to believe it was related to his comments about the Israel-Palestinian war.
On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise land, sea and air attack on Israel, which launched airstrikes and invaded the Gaza strip in response. Months on, the Palestinian death toll is at 27,478 people, per figures reported by the Associated Press.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.