(Bloomberg) — YouTube said it will expand its blockade of Russian state-controlled media outlets RT and Sputnik on its video-streaming platform globally, and took other steps to unravel financial ties with Russia as the country’s invasion of Ukraine intensifies.
The world’s largest video-sharing site, owned by Alphabet Inc.’s Google, will also prevent creators in Russia from making money through its platform. The company will take down all videos about the invasion that violate its policies, including graphic content, misinformation and hate speech, according to a YouTube tweet.
Earlier on Friday, Russia’s media regulator said it would restrict access to photo-sharing site Instagram, owned by Meta Platforms Inc. The government had already blocked the use of Meta’s Facebook social network and has limited access to Twitter Inc.
Western companies have moved to abandon the Russian economy in droves, while Ukraine is experiencing a growing humanitarian crisis. Google has taken several steps in response to the war, including its decision to stop running digital ads in Russia, which Bloomberg Intelligence estimates could cost the company 2% of its search business. YouTube previously blocked RT and Sputnik in Europe, and says it has taken down more than 1,000 channels and more than 15,000 videos related to the invasion that violate its content policies.
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