YouTube has removed over 70,000 videos and 9,000 channels containing content related to the Ukraine conflict for violating content guidelines.
Channels affiliated with Russian media organizations, such as Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik, have also been blocked globally by the company.
With an estimated 90 million users, YouTube is a popular video streaming website in Russia. The platform has continued to provide services in the region even after other tech companies and platforms ceased operations following the invasion of Ukraine.
According to The Guardian, the platform has been removing pro-Kremlin content from its site, specifically for violating its content policy.
Neal Mohan, YouTube’s chief product officer said, “We have a major violent events policy and that applies to things like denial of major violent events: everything from the Holocaust to Sandy Hook. And of course, what’s happening in Ukraine is a major violent event. And so we’ve used that policy to take unprecedented action.”
In an interview with the publication, he also stated that content about the Ukraine-Russia conflict has received over 40 million views in Ukraine alone. He stated while discussing YouTube’s crackdown on such content, “The first and probably most paramount responsibility is making sure that people who are looking for information about this event can get accurate, high-quality, credible information on YouTube.
The consumption of authoritative channels on our platform has grown significantly, of course in Ukraine, but also in countries surrounding Ukraine, Poland, and also within Russia itself.”
Mohan talks about the popularity of YouTube in Russia as the largest video-sharing site, serving as “a place where Russian citizens can get uncensored information about the war, including from many of the same authoritative channels that we all have access to outside of the country. We remain an important platform for Russian citizens themselves as this crisis continues to evolve.”
Last week, the Russian Minister of Digital Development Maksut Shadaev failed to block YouTube despite content disputes and a fine imposed on the company for failing to remove banned videos. However, he has stated in a statement that he will not ban YouTube despite the fact that it will have an impact on users.
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