Google pauses all ad sales in Russia ‘in light of the extraordinary circumstances’

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

All ad sales in Russia have been paused.

The situation is evolving quickly, and we will continue to share updates when appropriate.

It's difficult to say what financial losses the company will incur as a result, but the move shows how the online world has become a subsidiary battleground between Russia and the West.

Similar blanket bans on ads in Russia were enacted by social media companies. Russia Today, a Russian state media outlet, was previously blocked from using the company's adtech to monetize their websites. Small bans and blocks like this have been accumulating over the past week, and are slowly forming something of a digital iron curtain between Russia and the West.

In light of the extraordinary circumstances, we are pausing the ads in Russia. We will continue to share updates when appropriate.

The move comes after the Russian communications watchdog criticized the company for running ads about the war in Ukraine. According to The Wall Street Journal, the ads on the platforms were aimed at Russian viewers and created a distorted perception of current events.

The communications watchdog is blocking any media that disagrees with the official state narrative. It recently blocked access to the websites of the British Broadcasting Corp., after it resurrected WWII-era shortwave radio in order to reach Russians and Ukrainians.