YouTube is block channels connected to state-backed Russian media outlets such as RT and Sputnik across Europe effective immediately.
Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok restrict Russian media channels ahead of a likely European Union ban. They aim to reduce the propaganda during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc. and TikTok owner Bytedance Ltd. have already restricted access to accounts run by Sputnik and Russia Today in the EU. The EU announced a ban on Sunday, which countries are yet to sign off on after a formal proposal.
Poland and the Baltic states have asked Big Tech companies to “take a stand” against Russia. A growing number of internet and technology companies support Ukraine by restricting their services in Russia.
Twitter Inc. has added warning labels to links from Russian state media, while YouTube has restricted ads on the content. Microsoft also said it would take steps to reduce users’ exposure to Russian propaganda, including on MSN.com.
The company said that they would remove RT news apps from the Windows App Store and further de-rank these sites’ search results on Bing. The company will also be banning ads from RT and Sputnik. This will enable a user to not interact with these websites directly.
Nathaniel Gleicher, the Head of Security Policy at Meta, on Monday, tweeted that they had identified the Ghostwriter hacker group attempting to ‘compromise’ the accounts of prominent military personnel and public figures in Ukraine
Russia has also tried to order Facebook from fact-checking and labelling content on four Russian state-owned media organizations. However, Facebook had said it has refused to comply with these demands.
Edited by- Subbuthai Padma
Submitted By- Satheesh Kumar
