YouTube announced that its ban on Russian state-backed media networks would be extended internationally.
Following the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the video-sharing site first prohibited state-linked channels in Europe.
As a result of the attacks, a number of corporations and tech heavyweights, including Samsung, Microsoft, Apple, and others, have already ceased operations in Russia. Russia has also been sanctioned by the US and other Western states.
YouTube says in its official guidelines, “[The guidelines] prohibit content denying, minimizing, or trivializing well-documented violent events, and we remove content about Russia´s invasion in Ukraine that violates this policy.”
The platform also included the following, “In line with that, effective immediately, we are also blocking YouTube channels associated with Russian state-funded media, globally.”
YouTube has already barred content related to the conflict, such as false information about the invasion or claims that the entire operation is an “effort for peacekeeping.”
However, hate speech-related content is still permitted on the platform if it is ‘educational, artistic, or scientific in nature.’
Previously, its parent company Google restricted its operations in Russia by disabling traffic information and crowd data on Google Maps or suspending commercial services such as Google Ads, payment functionalities, and monetization on any of its platforms.
Google’s President of Global Affairs, Kent Walker, stated that the company has “paused the vast majority of our commercial activities in Russia.” However, free services such as Google search and YouTube are still available.
To read our blog on “In Ukraine, Google has launched Air Raid Alerts for Android devices,” click here.