Alphabet Inc's (NASDAQ:GOOGL) YouTube has terminated the platform's state-operated Russian channel Duma TV amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, citing a violation of terms and services.
"If we find that an account violates our Terms of Service, we take appropriate action. Our teams are closely monitoring the situation for any updates and changes," Google wrote to Reuters in a statement.
This is the third Kremlin-backed media outlet blocked by YouTube – Sputnik, and RT were banned in early March.
Duma TV is the YouTube channel of Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma. The channel is meant to broadcast comments made by government officials, sessions held by the parliament, and state-owned programs.
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The channel is said to have as many as 145,000 subscribers, and the total views on the videos posted were over 100 million.
Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, wrote in a Telegram post, “Apparently, YouTube has signed its own verdict. Save content, and transfer it to Russian platforms. And fast.” The statement signals that Russia may move to ban YouTube in the country all together.
Russia restricted access to Meta Platforms Inc's (NASDAQ:FB) Facebook, Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR), and Instagram in mid-March under its ‘extremism’ law, after Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said Meta is creating an “alternate reality where hatred for the Russians was kindled.” To this end, a court in Moscow said the platforms were “carrying out extremist activities.”
