YouTube blocks Russia-backed media channels

As the Ukraine-Russia war rages on, video streaming platform YouTube has said that it is blocking Russian state-funded media channels on its platform “effective immediately”, Business Standard reported.

In a Twitter thread, the official handle of YouTube said on Friday, “Our community guidelines prohibit content denying, minimising or trivialising well-documented violent events, and we remove content about Russia's invasion in Ukraine that violates this policy.”

YouTube said it had begun blocking the channels of Russian state-controlled television channel RT and news agency Sputnik, “across Europe”. “Since Russia began its invasion in Ukraine, we’ve been focused on removing violative content and connecting people to trusted news and information.”

YouTube will also pause monetisation and “significantly limit” recommendations of Russian state-run media channels. Both the actions, it said, are indefinite and “global”.

According to Bloomberg, YouTube has already taken down more than 1,000 channels and more than 15,000 videos related to the war.

Earlier on Friday, Russian regulators had reportedly said that internet users in Russia will be blocked from using Meta Platforms’ Instagram, as it was being used to call for violence against Russian soldiers.

Update on March 12:

Newslaundry reached out to Azaan Javaid, who is a reporter at Sputnik, to ask how they view the move. “This block is a very unhealthy sign especially for South Asian or Asian countries simply because it goes on to show how social media and media can be governed or bullied by a simple gesture by the USA…It reflects a complete bias of the west towards any information that comes from this side…To block Russian channels across the world is simply aiming to retain western monopoly over one-sided truth and information,” Javaid said.

Asked about Sputnik’s plans considering the block, Javaid said, “We will find an alternative for the block because Sputnik has a responsibility towards the truth and there is another side to this issue.”

The blurb of this article has been updated.