YouTube Blocks Russian Media Channels Worldwide

Initially, YouTube has only blocked Russian state-funded media channels from being viewed in Europe, but now this ban will apply worldwide. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has been condemned by nearly all countries except very close allies, which is why it was important to quell the reach of Russian propaganda channels.

According to YouTube guidelines, any content that trivializes or minimizes well-documented violent acts is prohibited from being posted on YouTube. And Russian media channels have been doing just that calling the Russian invasion of Ukraine a “special military operation” and claiming that the Russian army is not bombing civilian targets.

Any well-documented accounts of the destruction of civilian buildings are either fully denied by the Russian mass media or claims are made that it is done by Ukrainians themselves. Of course, such outrageous behavior could not be tolerated, which is why global affairs president, Kent Walker, said that Google will be pausing the overwhelming majority of commercial activities in Russia.

The only service that is still operational in Russia is regular access to YouTube. Additionally, following in the footsteps of Facebook, representatives of YouTube have said that hate speech in regards to the Russian invasion of Ukraine is now permitted if the video is scientific, artistic, or educational in nature.

After similar announcements regarding hate speech were made by representatives of Meta, Russia has restricted access to Instagram and Facebook and launched a criminal case to seek “justice.” Russians were surprised and outraged by the fact that hate speech and severe condemnation are now permitted with regards to their military invasion of Ukraine.

Do you think this will result in Russia blocking access to YouTube just like they did with Facebook and Instagram? How far do you think Russia will go to prevent its people from hearing the truth? Share your thoughts in the comments below.