In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, YouTube has blocked Russian news networks RT and Sputnik across Europe. On Twitter, the Alphabet-owned firm acknowledged the news, adding that it would “take time for our systems to completely ramp up” and that it would “watch the situation around the clock to take prompt action.”
It’s the latest example of internet platforms censoring Russian news outlets in the wake of the conflict. After receiving demands from a number of EU states, Meta disabled RT and Sputnik on Instagram and Facebook yesterday. The two channels were likewise removed from TikTok. YouTube had already barred these sources from collecting revenue through advertising on its platform, as well as restricting access to these channels within Ukraine.