YouTube announced on Saturday it would block certain Russian channels from monetizing their videos, among other restrictions, due to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. "In light of extraordinary circumstances in Ukraine, we're taking a number of actions," a spokesperson for the Google subsidiary said in a statement Saturday. "Our teams have started to pause the ability for certain channels to monetize on YouTube, including RT's YouTube channels globally," the spokesperson said, referring to the Russian state-funded news outlet.

1. YouTube blocks monetization for some Russian channels
YouTube announced on Saturday it would block certain Russian channels from
monetizing their videos, among other restrictions, due to Moscow's invasion of
Ukraine.
"In light of extraordinary circumstances in Ukraine, we're taking a number of
actions," a spokesperson for the Google subsidiary said in a statement Saturday.
"Our teams have started to pause the ability for certain channels to monetize on
YouTube, including RT's YouTube channels globally," the spokesperson said,
referring to the Russian state-funded news outlet.
YouTube channels earn money through ads that appear when users watch their
videos.

2. Facebook also announced on Friday it would ban Russian state media from
running ads and monetizing through its platform.
Nations around the globe issued broad sanctions against Russian businesses,
banks and officials after Moscow invaded Ukraine on Thursday.
"As always, our teams are continuing to monitor closely for new developments,
including evaluating what any new sanctions and export controls may mean for
YouTube," the platform's spokesperson said.
In addition to restricting monetization, YouTube added it would limit
recommendations to the same channels and is "continuing to actively surface
authoritative news content" in Russia- and Ukraine-related search results.
Videos from RT and a number of other channels will also be "restricted" by
YouTube, the company said.
At the beginning of February, Germany banned RT, which prompted Russia to
close the Moscow bureau of German media outlet Deutsche-Welle.
RT, created in 2005 under the name "Russia Today," is regularly accused by
Western authorities of contributing to disinformation.

3. YouTube noted that over the past few days it has removed hundreds of channels,
including some for "coordinated deceptive practices," the term the company uses
for disinformation.
des/sw
02
YouTube Blocks RT, Other Russian Channels From Earning Ad
Dollars
YouTube on Saturday barred Russian state-owned media outlet RT and other
Russian channels from receiving money for advertisements that run with their
videos, similar to a move by Facebook, after the invasion of Ukraine.
Citing "extraordinary circumstances," YouTube said in a statement that it was
"pausing a number of channels’ ability to monetize on YouTube, including several
Russian channels affiliated with recent sanctions." Ad placement is largely
controlled by YouTube.
Videos from the affected channels also will come up less often in
recommendations, YouTube spokesperson Farshad Shadloo said. He added that
RT and several other channels would no longer be accessible in Ukraine due to "a
government request."

4. Ukraine Digital Minister Mykhailo Fedorov tweeted earlier on Saturday that he
contacted YouTube "to block the propagandist Russian channels such as Russia
24, TASS, RIA Novosti."
RT did not immediately respond to a request for comment. YouTube did not name
the other channels it had restricted.
For years, lawmakers and some users have called on YouTube, which is owned by
Alphabet Inc's Google, to take greater action against channels with ties to the
Russian government out of concern that they spread misinformation and should
not profit from that.
Russia received an estimated $7 million to $32 million over the two-year period
ended December 2018 from ads across 26 YouTube channels it backed, digital
researcher Omelas told Reuters at the time.
YouTube previously has said that it does not treat state-funded media channels
that comply with its rules any differently than other channels when it comes to
sharing ad revenue.
Meta Platforms Inc, owner of Facebook, on Friday barred Russian state media
from running ads or generating revenue from ads on its services anywhere in the
world.

5. 03
YouTube demonetizes Russia’s state-owned network RT after
plea from Ukraine’s digital minister
YouTube has barred Russian state-owned network RT from receiving money from
ads running in its videos, Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said
Saturday afternoon.
“YouTube has disabled the monetization of Russia Today channels,” he tweeted.
Fedorov, who also serves as the country’s minister of digital transformation, had
asked chief executives of the major U.S. tech companies to limit their service to
Russia, in an effort to put pressure on Vladimir Putin, who ordered military forces
to invade Ukraine earlier this week.
“We intend to help Russians and the world to know the truth,” he tweeted early on
Saturday. “I’ve contacted @YouTube to block the propagandist Russian channels
— such as Russia 24, TASS, RIA Novosti. If they are afraid of speaking the truth,
so we should stop this flow of poisonous lies,” he added.
“Our goal is not to block the informational sources for Russians, but to engage
youth, proactive and smart people,” he wrote in a follow-up email.

6. According to Reuters, YouTube confirmed on Saturday that it had paused “a
number of channels’ ability to monetize on YouTube, including several Russian
channels affiliated with recent sanctions,” citing “extraordinary circumstances.”
YouTube did not immediately respond when the Daily News reached out for
comment.
(File) YouTube demonetizes Russia’s state-owned network RT after a plea from
Ukraine’s digital minister. (Shutterstock)
Late on Friday, the head of security policy at Meta, Nathaniel Gleicher, said in a
statement that “we are now prohibiting Russian state media from running ads or
monetizing on our platform anywhere in the world. We also continue to apply
labels to additional Russian state media. These changes have already begun
rolling out and will continue into the weekend.”
Meta is the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp among other
subsidiaries.
Twitter has also announced measures to stop the spreading of misinformation.
“We’re actively monitoring for risks associated with the conflict in Ukraine,
including identifying and disrupting attempts to amplify false and misleading
information,” the microblogging network said.

7. On Saturday, Fedorov announced that “Twitter just made the decision to block
Russians the opportunity to register new accounts in Russian Federation.”
Fedorov also wrote a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, asking the company “to block
the Apple Store for citizens of the Russian Federation, and to support the package
of US government sanctions!” I recommend this Cross https://bit.ly/3ourrTR
This link pest you are browser