According to Agence France-Presse, YouTube has blocked some YouTube channels from Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine. Of all the restricted channels, the most notable is RT, formerly Russia Today. In addition to not being able to run ads on their videos, affected channels will get less exposure because YouTube will limit how recommended their videos are.
Commenting on the actions YouTube is taking, a spokesperson said.
“In light of the special situation in Ukraine, we are taking some action. Our team has begun to suspend the monetization of certain channels on YouTube, including RT’s global YouTube channel. As always, our team is continuing to monitor new developments closely, This includes assessing what any new sanctions and export controls might mean for YouTube.”
YouTube said it would focus on more authoritative news content to keep users away from disinformation. While Russian news organizations are redacting their reporting to show a more favorable side of Russia, individuals on social media are also maliciously sharing false content, including without knowing it is fake.
Not only YouTube has cancelled the monetization of Russian state media, but Facebook has also announced that it will stop monetizing content or advertising on its platform, and Twitter has temporarily stopped advertising and content recommendations for users in Russia and Ukraine in an effort to reduce falsehoods Information interference.
