Blocked and removed a number of channels, including newly created channels not only for complaints and video hosting, but also for spreading propaganda and lies, but also well-known bloggers such as Volodymyr Solovyov. The channels of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia were also removed from the platform.

At the same time, representatives of the platform did not provide strict criteria for moderating content related to the war in Ukraine. But what is known for sure is that YouTube has since begun to take a closer look at Russian channels. many incite violence and hatred against Ukrainians.

We have rules that prohibit denying significant acts of violence, from the Holocaust to the Sandy Hook attack. Of course, there is a great deal of violence in Ukraine. And we applied this rule to unprecedented action on the platform,
– YouTube Product Director Neil Mohan said.

YouTube is afraid to block it in Russia

After YouTube began removing propaganda videos and blocking channels of Russian bloggers and agencies, Russia began threatening to shut down the platform. These threats are still heard quite often, but no one is taking any action to block the service, and for good reason.

Google’s video hosting service has always been a great tool for “spreading fake and false information.” Russia owns the world’s largest troll factory and can afford to create hundreds of accounts and distribute thousands of propaganda and fake videos about the war in Ukraine.

If you block YouTube, the attacker loses the means to disseminate such information.

• Therefore, the Russian government is afraid of losing its propaganda platform, which is one of the main sources of information for the large Russian population.
• Today, some bloggers gather around them a larger audience than television could ever imagine – millions of views.
• Young people spend more time on YouTube, do not watch TV.
• And even if he consumes the product of one of the channels controlled by the state, he still prefers to do it online at an appropriate time.