YouTube banning Russian state media in Europe

YouTube is banning some Russian state media outlets in Europe in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

YouTube said on Tuesday that RT and Sputnik would be banned immediately from its platform.

“It’ll take time for our systems to fully ramp up. Our teams continue to monitor the situation around the clock to take swift action,” a YouTube spokesperson stated. 

Reuters, which first reported YouTube’s decision, noted that Russian-backed media has been distributing misinformation to viewers about the invasion, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has falsely claimed was meant to liberate the Ukrainian people.

YouTube previously said the Russian-backed outlets would not be allowed to earn money from ads on its platform. 

Meanwhile, Meta Vice President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg said on Monday that Facebook would restrict some Russian-backed media. 

“​​We have received requests from a number of Governments and the EU to take further steps in relation to Russian state controlled media. Given the exceptional nature of the current situation, we will be restricting access to RT and Sputnik across the EU at this time,” he stated. 

Facebook said last week that Russian state media would not be allowed to make money from ads following the attack on Ukraine. 

Private companies in multiple sectors have joined governments in punishing Russia for invading Ukraine.

Updated at 9:40 a.m.