YouTube today blocked the monetization ability of popular Russian channels. Also among the channels is RT (Russia Today), a pro-Russian news channel funded by the Russian state. RT English has 4.6 million subscribers.
“Due to the exceptional circumstances in Ukraine, we are suspending the option to monetize a number of YouTube channels, including Russian channels that have been subject to sanctions recently,” YouTube said.
Twitter and Facebook are taking action
Social media has been filled with posts since Russian forces invaded Ukraine. Twitter now has the option to place ads in Russia and Ukraine to stop† In doing so, it wants to ensure that it does not promote misinformation via advertisements.
Twitter is also tweaking its algorithms in both countries so that users don’t see recommended tweets from accounts they haven’t already followed. This is also intended to prevent the rapid spread of misinformation.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, proposed in turn on Saturday ban in For Russian state media to monetize or publish ads. The Russian government has partially restricted access to Facebook in the country since Friday, as it is outraged by warnings about false news that Meta is placing in messages from Russian state media. Meta says carry on with fact-checking labels.
Russia restricts access to Twitter
The Russian government also severely restricted access to Twitter in the country on Saturday, making it difficult for users to upload new messages or send tweets.
The Kremlin’s official website has been closed due to the cyber-attacks this afternoon. Russian governments have been attacked since Thursday by Anonymous, an international hacking group.
