Today, YouTube announced that it will prevent the possibility of some Russian channels, such as RT, monetizing their content on the platform, due to “exceptional circumstances” in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia.
YouTube also said it had limited access to RT (formerly Russia Today) and other Russian channels in Ukraine, a country that Russian forces invaded this week.
YouTube revenue is generated by activating ads on videos. “Due to exceptional circumstances in Ukraine, we are taking a series of measures,” a company spokesperson announced. “Our teams have started suspending the monetization ability of certain channels on YouTube, including RT channels around the world,” he said.
The platform specified that recommendations “will be very limited” for users to watch these channels. “In response to a request from a government, we have restricted access to RT and several other channels in Ukraine,” she said.
Earlier this month, Germany banned RT on its soil, prompting Moscow to shut down the local office of German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. West accuses RT of contributing to disinformation.
RT was established in 2005, funded by the Russian state and has radios and websites in several languages, mainly English, French, Spanish, German and Arabic.
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