According to sources with knowledge of the matter, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has been examining whether Alphabet's YouTube platform violated consumer protection laws through its account suspension practices, with the probe now entering its final stage ahead of a potential lawsuit.

The FTC's investigation into YouTube began last year, focusing on whether the platform breaches its own user policies when banning accounts or reducing content visibility. Investigators are also looking into whether YouTube's content policies could mislead users into signing up for the service, with some users potentially believing they could post certain content based on those policies, only to have their content removed and accounts suspended later.

It remains unclear which specific accounts are under scrutiny in the investigation. YouTube has not been accused of any wrongdoing, and the FTC's inquiry could conclude without any enforcement action being taken.

Following the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, social media platforms including YouTube suspended accounts belonging to former President Donald Trump and other politicians. Trump's YouTube account was restored in 2023. YouTube has also removed health-related content concerning vaccines and COVID-19 that it determined violated its misinformation policies.

Should the FTC proceed with legal action, YouTube would have the option to reach a settlement with the agency or contest the case in court. Any settlement agreement would require approval from FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson and Commissioner Mark Meador.