Russia-Ukraine war: Google halts Russian state media monetisation across platforms
Ad placement is largely controlled by YouTube. The social media platform also stated that it has removed channels and videos violating its policies that were involved in coordinated deception.
FollowAmid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, US tech giant Google on Saturday became the latest platform to block Russian state media outlet RT and other Russian channels and also suspended its ability to monetize content globally on Saturday (February 26) after the invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian state media outlet RT News, as well as other Russian state-funded media, will not be able to run ads on YouTube, or any other Google services, including using the search and Gmail to place ads, reported news agency Reuters on Sunday citing spokesman Michael Aciman. “We’re actively monitoring new developments and will take further steps if necessary,” Aciman said.
Citing “extraordinary circumstances,” Google’s YouTube unit said it was “pausing a number of channels’ ability to monetize on YouTube.” These included several Russian channels affiliated with recent sanctions, such as those by the European Union.
Ad placement is largely controlled by YouTube. The social media platform also stated that it has removed channels and videos violating its policies that were involved in coordinated deception.
On Friday, Meta (formerly known as Facebook) said that it was blocking Russian state media’s ability to run ads and monetize them on Meta’s platform.
On Wednesday, the European Union unveiled sanctions on individuals such as Margarita Simonyan, whom it called RT’s editor-in-chief and “a central figure” of Russian propaganda.
The world has continued to isolate Russia by imposing even more sanctions against the country and recent talks are going on to cut it off from the international payment systems via swift actions. It has taken four days for the western leaders to finally announce that they are going to be swift restrictions on Russia.
Russian troops have entered Ukraine's second city Kharkiv and fighting was under way on Sunday, the head of the regional administration said on the fourth day of Moscow's invasion of the pro-Western country.
While fighting raged in Kharkiv, the city administration in Kyiv, 400 km to the west, said the capital remained completely under the control of Ukrainian forces despite clashes with “sabotage groups”.
