Google said late Thursday it had suspended all advertising in Russia after the country’s internet regulator demanded the company stop ru...
Google said late Thursday it had suspended all advertising in Russia after the country’s internet regulator demanded the company stop running what it deemed to be ads displaying false information about the Russian invasion. from Ukraine.
Google said it took the rare step of suspending its advertising activities in the country, including search, YouTube and display marketing. The move came days after the company suspended advertising content produced by Russian state media. Google said it had already blocked ads related to the dispute because it didn’t want people to take advantage of the crisis for financial gain.
“Given the extraordinary circumstances, we are suspending Google Ads in Russia. The situation is changing rapidly and we will continue to share updates as appropriate,” the company said in a written statement.
Earlier Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Russian communications watchdog Roskomnadzor had demanded that Google stop showing online video ads containing what it called false political information about Ukraine. He accused YouTube, a unit of Google, of running ad campaigns to misinform Russians about the news.
Google has taken a cautious approach with the Russian government throughout the crisis, as it has more than 100 staff on the ground in the country. In the past, the Russian government has threatened to sue employees of companies who break the country’s rules.
The Russian demands to Google are the latest example of how the internet platforms of the world’s biggest tech companies are becoming battlegrounds over how information is shared during the conflict.
In addition to the suspension of advertising in Russia, Google has banned RT, Sputnik and other state-sponsored Russian media from YouTube in Europe. He also said he would no longer allow content from Russian state media to appear on Google News.
At the request of the Ukrainian government, Google said it would also restrict access to RT and other Russian YouTube channels in Ukraine.
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