David Davis, a conservative party member and previously elected member of parliament in the United Kingdom (UK), has expressed his views on the vaccination passport that governments around the world have been implementing, and which the UK is also considering. When the video was shared, YouTube censored it for being ‘medical misinformation’ as well as anti-vaccine propaganda. TrialSite previously reported on France’s vaccine passports which regulate its citizens’ mobilization within the country, as well as the vaccine passports’ problematic effect on virus protection and spread.
A vaccine passport or certificate is a document that contains a person’s record of vaccination, the date it was administered, and the name of the vaccine. In Davis’ speech which was uploaded to YouTube, he emphasized various reasons why the imposition of vaccine passports is allegedly counter-productive and infringes on people’s rights.
On the same day, YouTube censored this content, prompting Davis to label the platform as one that restricts free speech.
Davis Discusses YouTube Censoring His Speech
During Davis’ interview with Julia Hartley-Brewer on talkRADIO, a radio station broadcasting in the United Kingdom, stated his confusion over being flagged for medical misinformation. “I went through it line by line, and we checked every single fact,” he said. He claimed that the content of his speech was consistent with science both then and now, as well as Public Health England’s announcements on how the vaccine works. He called YouTube’s action “libelous” for labeling him as “promoting anti-vaxxer campaign,” which he was not.
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Regarding censorship carried out by YouTube, Facebook, and other social media platforms, Davis emphasized that “we should not give them the right to censor our speech”. He mentioned a bill that the government is planning to pass called the harms bill, which gives platforms like YouTube the authority to remove content that they believe is harmful to the public. He then raised concerns about the ‘judgment rights’ that these platforms will have if the bill is passed.
Davis’ video was reinstated on YouTube two days after it was uploaded, in response to his call and the fact-checking on his part. Although the platform claimed and admitted that the content censorship was initiated by an algorithm, the decision to remove it was made by a human, and because people are prone to making mistakes, situations like the one he encountered may occur from time to time.
Davis then speculated in another interview with Iain Dale in LBC, a radio station in London, that double standards were at play. He suggested that if the everyday person – aka, not a politician – wanted to express their opposition to the vaccine passport and other related content, the same course of action granted to him might not be granted to them. He suspected that his video being reuploaded was a one-time occurrence due to his political status.
Davis’ Speech on Vaccine Passports
Davis’ speech focused on freedom and how the government is undermining it. According to him, freedom under the law can only work if the law is used correctly, which has allegedly not been the case since the pandemic began.
He questioned the authority that the government granted to its branches and individuals in the health care field. Davis claimed that restrictions imposed by the government have taken away certain freedoms. He went on to say that despite limiting people’s freedom, these impositions were ineffective.
‘Right to Choose’ Vaccination
One of the points Davis emphasized in his speech was the importance of making a personal and introspective decision to get vaccinated. He claims to be pro-vaccine, having had himself and his family fully vaccinated, but says that this was done for self-benefit.
He also refers to Michael Gove’s statement about how refusing to get vaccinated is a selfish act that puts others at risk of contracting the virus. Davis responded by saying that getting vaccinated is something you do to benefit and protect yourself; not to protect others from the virus.
He criticized the government’s strategies of imposing laws and mandates to urge people to get vaccinated. Davis suggested that the government focus vaccine promotion on its benefits and positive effects, and appeal to the public by attesting to the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness.
The vaccine passport produces a ‘false sense of security’
Davis went on to explain how the vaccinated have the same risk of transmitting the virus as the unvaccinated, with recent studies from the UK and the US Centers for Disease Control saying that “fully vaccinated people infected with the delta variant can still infect others”.
Davis reiterated that the imposition of this vaccine passport gives its holders unfound confidence that they are not at risk of contracting and transmitting the virus. This type of security could cause people to lower their guard, making this vaccine passport “a solution looking for a problem”.
Call For Change
Toward the end of his speech, Davis suggested that the government take the following steps to restore the freedom that they had taken away from their people:
Abolish the Coronavirus Act;
Revise the public health act;
End the introduction of vaccine passports;
End government restrictions during this pandemic.
TrialSite is going to follow up on further statements by Davis on this issue and any counterstatement regarding his claims.
