In its latest effort to curb misinformation and prioritize trusted news sources, it has decided to remove all content with ties to Russian state-funded media.
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Our teams have now removed more than 1,000 channels and over 15,000 videos for violating not only our hate speech policy, but also our policies around misinformation, graphic content and more.
On March 1st, YouTube announced it was removing the Russian channels Sputnik andRT, both of which are state-funded news media, and pausing all ads and recommendations for any Russian state-funded media channels. The company introduced Russia-specific information flags, which appear under videos to designate when content is linked to government funding. The panel is funded in whole or in part by the Russian government.
The site has seen more interaction with its monitored Top News andBreaking News pages, which have received more than 17 million views in Ukraine alone. The company says it will ramp up its systems to remove more state-sponsored content.
All forms of monetization for Russian state-funded content have been suspended.
In order to prevent the spread of misinformation on their platforms, social media companies including Meta, Twitter, and TikTok have taken steps, from cutting revenue-generating advertisements to partnering with third-party media literacy organizations.
Microsoft, Sony, and other developers have pulled their products and services from Russia. Russian citizens who remain in the country as well as those who are stranded abroad because of global sanctions will be affected by these decisions.
The choice to remove Russian-state controlled media from sites like YouTube will hopefully turn more people toward trusted news organizations. As many Russians face intense retribution from state officials for decrying the invasion, that is a significant task.
There are more stories about the war in Ukraine.
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