{"id":1006185,"date":"2022-02-28T12:08:29","date_gmt":"2022-02-28T12:08:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/02\/28\/russia-demands-google-restore-access-to-its-media-youtube-channels-in-ukraine\/"},"modified":"2022-02-28T12:08:29","modified_gmt":"2022-02-28T12:08:29","slug":"russia-demands-google-restore-access-to-its-media-youtube-channels-in-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/02\/28\/russia-demands-google-restore-access-to-its-media-youtube-channels-in-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia demands Google restore access to its media YouTube channels in Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"

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File photo: Unsplash\/AP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Russia\u2019s communications regulator has demanded that\u00a0Google\u00a0restores access to its state-sponsored media channels on YouTube in Ukraine, after accusing\u00a0Facebook\u00a0and other big tech companies of \u2018censorship\u2019 for limiting its programs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Roskomnadzor, Russia\u2019s media regulator, said on Sunday that it wrote a letter to Alphabet Inc., Google and YouTube\u2019s parent company, seeking the removal of all restrictions imposed on state media outlets such as RBC, TV Zvezda and Sputnik.<\/p>\n

YouTube blocked access to state-run media channels on Saturday at the request of the Ukrainian government, which Ukraine Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov confirmed on\u00a0Twitter\u00a0early Saturday morning local time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018We intend to help Russians and the world to know the truth. I\u2019ve contacted @YouTube to block the propagandist Russian channels \u2014 such as Russia 24, TASS, RIA Novosti. If they are afraid of speaking the truth, so we should stop this flow of poisonous lies,\u2019 his tweet read.<\/p>\n

\u2018In response to a government request, we\u2019ve restricted access to RT and a number of other channels in Ukraine. We will continue to monitor new developments and may take further actions,\u2019 A YouTube spokesperson told Axios on Saturday.<\/p>\n

The spokesperson said YouTube was also \u2018pausing a number of channels\u2019 ability to monetize on YouTube, including several Russian channels affiliated with recent sanctions\u2019 because of \u2018extraordinary circumstances in Ukraine.\u2019<\/p>\n

The YouTube spokesperson also said the company would be \u2018significantly limiting recommendations to these channels.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n

Earlier on Saturday, Google announced that it was blocking Russian state media channels from selling ads, just hours after YouTube, which is owned by Google, said it was blocking Russian state media channels from selling ads on YouTube globally or being accessible in Ukraine.<\/p>\n

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\"Russian<\/figure>\n

Following another request from the Ukrainian government, Google also removed Russia\u2019s state-run television network RT, formerly known as Russia Today, from its Google Play Store in Ukraine.<\/p>\n

YouTube has removed hundreds of channels and thousands of videos over the past few days that violated its policies by engaging in \u2018coordinated deception,\u2019\u00a0CNN\u00a0reported.<\/p>\n

Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner also put pressure on YouTube Friday, writing a letter saying that his staff was able to see RT monetize on the platform.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Warner said that he alerted the Departments of Justice and Treasury to report that the platform had allowed sanctioned entities to monetize, CNN reported.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Alphabet isn\u2019t the only big tech company to infuriate Russian despot Vladimir Putin, as Meta said that it was banning Russian state media from running ads or monetizing content on Facebook.<\/p>\n

Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook\u2019s head of security policy, announced the ban Saturday on Twitter, writing: \u2018We are now prohibiting Russian state media from running ads or monetizing on our platform anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n

\u2018We also continue to apply labels to additional Russian state media. These changes have already begun rolling out and will continue into the weekend.\u2019<\/p>\n

Putin ordered a \u2018partial\u2019 block on Facebook on Friday, with Kremlin officials claiming it was a response to the tech giant\u2019s \u2018censorship\u2019 of its state media.<\/p>\n

The EU has also taken actions against Russian state media and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a press conference Sunday that RT would be banned in the EU.<\/p>\n

\u2018We will ban the Kremlin\u2019s media machine in the EU. The state-owned Russia Today and Sputnik, and their subsidiaries, will no longer be able to spread their lies to justify Putin\u2019s war,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n

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\"YouTube
YouTube has also removed hundreds of channels and thousands of videos over the past few days for engaging in \u2018coordinated deception\u2019. Above was a protester against the war demonstrating at Pushkin Square in Moscow on Friday
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\"A
A person carried a banner during an anti-war protest in Moscow, Russia on Friday<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018We are developing tools to ban their toxic and harmful disinformation in Europe,\u2019 she added, though did not provide further details.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Russia\u2019s media regulator has been cracking down on the country\u2019s own outlets, ordering media to remove reports describing the Kremlin\u2019s attack as an \u2018assault, invasion or declaration of war\u2019, or face being blocked and fined.<\/p>\n

In a statement, Roskomnadzor accused several independent media outlets including television channel Dozhd and the country\u2019s top independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta of spreading \u2018unreliable socially significant untrue information\u2019 about the shelling of Ukrainian cities by the Russian army and civilian deaths.<\/p>\n

Citing a request from the General Prosecutor\u2019s Office, the communications regulator said the media outlets that also include Echo of Moscow radio will be blocked unless they remove the \u2018unreliable information\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u2018Roskomnadzor also launched an administrative investigation into the dissemination of unreliable publicly significant information by the above-mentioned media,\u2019 the watchdog said. The offence is punishable by a fine of up to 5 million rubles ($60,000), it said.<\/p>\n

\"Ukraine's
Ukraine\u2019s Ministry of Defense today claimed it has killed more than 4,300 Russian soldiers in the first three days of fighting. Russia has not released an updates on its military losses<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018We are developing tools to ban their toxic and harmful disinformation in Europe,\u2019 she added, though did not provide further details.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Russia\u2019s media regulator has been cracking down on the country\u2019s own outlets, ordering media to remove reports describing the Kremlin\u2019s attack as an \u2018assault, invasion or declaration of war\u2019, or face being blocked and fined.<\/p>\n

In a statement, Roskomnadzor accused several independent media outlets including television channel Dozhd and the country\u2019s top independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta of spreading \u2018unreliable socially significant untrue information\u2019 about the shelling of Ukrainian cities by the Russian army and civilian deaths.<\/p>\n

Citing a request from the General Prosecutor\u2019s Office, the communications regulator said the media outlets that also include Echo of Moscow radio will be blocked unless they remove the \u2018unreliable information\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u2018Roskomnadzor also launched an administrative investigation into the dissemination of unreliable publicly significant information by the above-mentioned media,\u2019 the watchdog said. The offence is punishable by a fine of up to 5 million rubles ($60,000), it said.<\/p>\n

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