Rumble refuses UK demand to demonetize influencer over unproven allegations

Video streaming site Rumble Wednesday refused a request by His Majesty’s Government to demonetize influencer Russel Brand over sexual allegations that he denies.

Brand, who hosts a weekly YouTube show with 6.6 million subscribers, has been outwardly critical of lockdowns, the COVID-19 vaccine, governments, large corporations and mainstream narratives. His smaller YouTube channels total over half a million subscribers. Brand also has a channel on TikTOk with 2.3 million followers and on Rumble with 1.6 million subscribers.

On Tuesday YouTube demonetized Brand after the Sunday Times reported that four women are accusing Brand of sexual assault over a decade ago. Brand has vehemently refuted the claims.

The next day, UK Commons Culture Committee Chair Dame Caroline Dinenage wrote a letter to TikTok’s European Director of Government Relations Dr. Theo Bertram asking the platform to follow YouTube’s example. Dinenage acknowledged Brand’s content had not broken any rules, but the official nevertheless asked TikTok to demonetize the content. She also expressed concern that Brand was allowed to respond to the accusations:

Although Mr Brand no longer appears on television, he now has a follower base on social media, including on TikTok where this weekend he republished his pre-emptive response to the accusations made against him by the Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches.

While we recognise that TikTok is not the creator of the content published by Mr Brand, and his content may be within the Community Guidelines set out by the platform, we are concerned that he may be able to profit from his content on the platform.

We would be grateful if you could confirm whether Mr Brand is able to monetise his TikTok posts, including his videos relating to the serious accusations against him, and what the platform is doing to ensure that creators are not able to use the platform to undermine the welfare of victims of inappropriate and potentially illegal behaviour.

TikTok confirmed that Brand was never part of a revenue sharing program, according to the Mirror, and has not been compensated for his content.

Dinenage then sent a nearly identical letter to Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski but received a different response.

Pavlovski published a response to the UK government which is being widely praised across social media and has been viewed 10 million times on X alone. The Rumble CEO began by calling the UK's letter “extremely disturbing”:

Today we received an extremely disturbing letter from a committee chair in the UK Parliament. 

While Rumble obviously deplores any sexual assault, rape, and all serious crimes, and believes that both alleged victims and the accused are entitled to a full and serious investigation, it is vital to note that recent allegations against Russell Brand have nothing to do with content on Rumble’s platform.

Just yesterday, YouTube announced that, based solely on these media accusations, it was barring Mr. Brand from monetizing his video content. Rumble stands for very different values. We have devoted ourselves to the vital cause of defending a free internet—meaning an internet where no one arbitrarily dictates which ideas can or cannot be heard, or which citizens may or may not be entitled to a platform.

We regard it as deeply inappropriate and dangerous that the UK Parliament would attempt to control who is allowed to speak on our platform or to earn a living from doing so. SIngling out an individual and demanding his ban is even more disturbing given the absence of any connection between the allegations and his content on Rumble. We don’t agree with the behavior of many Rumble creators, but we refuse to penalize them for actions that have nothing to do with our platform.

Although it may be politically and socially easier for Rumble to join a cancel culture mob, doing so would be a violation of our company’s values and mission. We emphatically reject the UK Parliament’s demands.

Many are suggesting — as are popular figures like billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk and reporter Tucker Carlson — that the as yet-unproven allegations and ensuing repercussions are part of a coordinated attack on Brand for his influential views. Netizens across social media are sharing a video of Brand which they suggest explains the media onslaught.

In an appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher, Brand said "the pandemic created at least 40 new big pharma billionaires” and that “pharmaceutical corporations like Moderna and Pfizer made $1,000 of profit every second from the COVID-19 vaccine."

"More than two-thirds of Congress received campaign funding from pharmaceutical companies in the 2020 election," he continued. "Pfizer Chairman Albert Bourla told Time magazine in July 2020 that his company was developing a COVID vaccine for the good of humanity, not for money. And of course, Pfizer made 100 million dollars in profit in 2022."

"[Y]ou, the American public, funded the development of that,” Brand said to the audience. "When it came to the profits, they took the profits. When it came to the funding, you paid for the funding.”

“An economic system in which pharmaceutical companies benefit from medical emergencies, where a military industrial complex benefits from war. . .you are going to generate states of perpetual crisis,” he concluded to applause.

Trevi Women, a charity which Brand supported through his own Stay Free Foundation, also announced it was cutting ties with Brand over the allegations.

Public influential figures who oppose government messaging are often targets of unproven sexual allegations.

Tim Ballard, the real-life hero of the the hit anti-pedophile film Sound of Freedom was recently accused by media of sexual assault against seven anonymous women. Ballard categorically denies all claims.

Elon Musk, who was accused of sexual assault last year after announcing his bid to acquire Twitter (now X), expressed support for Brand in light of the accusations: "Of course. They don't like the competition,” he posted. “I support Russell Brand. That man is not evil,” he added in another post.

Tucker Carlson, who was accused earlier this year of workplace sexual harassment, wrote, “Criticize the drug companies, question the war in Ukraine, and you can be pretty sure this is going to happen.”

Masculinist influencer Andrew Tate, who spent months in house arrest in Romania over sex trafficking allegations and is currently awaiting trial, chimed in, “Welcome to the club,” he posted. “On my way to fight the crazy b***h allegations.”