Google, YouTube, and Facebook prevent Russian state media from monetizing content Pressured to choose sides amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, digital platforms have begun taking steps to prevent Russian state media from monetizing content.
YouTube announced on Saturday that it is suspending the possibility for some Russian networks, such as RT, to monetize their content on the platform due to “exceptional circumstances” in Ukraine, which is invaded by Russia.
He also reported that he has limited access to RT (formerly Russia Today) and other Russian networks in Ukraine, a country invaded by Russian troops for three days.
On YouTube, revenue is earned by activating advertisements in videos.
“In light of the exceptional circumstances in Ukraine, we are taking a number of measures,” a YouTube spokesperson said.
“Our teams have begun to suspend the possibility of some networks generating revenue on YouTube, including RT channels around the world,” he added.
The platform said that recommendations to users to choose those channels will be “greatly limited.”
“And in response to a request from a government, we have restricted access to RT and several other channels in Ukraine,” YouTube noted.
On Friday, Facebook said it had banned Russian public media from making money on its platform.
Nathaniel Gleicher, head of security policy at the platform, noted that “we now prohibit Russian state media from running ads or monetizing on our platform anywhere in the world. We also continue to apply labels to other Russian state media. These changes have already begun to be implemented and will continue over the weekend.”
The latest to join was Google, which on Saturday night said that, like Facebook, it will ban Russian state media from monetizing on the platform or running ads.
Twitter, which last year faced fines and a slowdown in its services on orders from governments requiring it to remove content from the platform, reported Saturday that its network was “restricted to some people in Russia.”
We’re temporarily pausing advertisements in Ukraine and Russia to ensure critical public safety information is elevated and ads don’t detract from it.
— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) February 25, 2022
“Western companies have provided an online space for Russians to learn about the atrocities their government is committing in Ukraine,” Alina Polyakova, president, and CEO of the Center for European Policy Analysis, said on Twitter.
“The Kremlin moves aggressively to hide the truth,” he added.