YouTube bans ads on RT and other Russian channels

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

According to a report, state-backed Russian media outlets are being blocked from advertising and earning money on the platform. As Russian troops continue to invade Ukraine, YouTube told us it has the ability to monetize on its site, including several Russian channels that have recently been hit by sanctions.

According to Farshad Shadloo, the video sharing site will recommend Russian state-run media to users less often. Some of these channels will be restricted in Ukraine due to a government request. State-run networks had their videos labeled by YouTube.

Ok, done a (very quick) check on several @YouTube channels from Russian state-owned outlets — that aren’t in RT network. They are all still displaying ads.



Excellent. Excellent. https://t.co/bNdbSwyiBO

— Mark Scott (@markscott82) February 26, 2022

It is not clear which other channels have also been demonetized. Some state-backed channels still have ads. The Verge asked for a list of affected channels, but didn't hear back.

The Meta-owned Facebook has paused ads from state-backed Russian media on it's platform, while the micro-blogging site suspended ads in both Ukraine and Russia to ensure visibility of public safety information. Russia has restricted access to social networking sites. Russia threatened to ban the platform completely for deletion of two channels in September, although it hasn't blocked it yet.