YouTube has blocked the channels of RT and Sputnik for all European users, the platform, owned by Google parent company Alphabet Inc., announced on Tuesday. The block came with immediate effect, the statement said, citing the “ongoing war in Ukraine.”
RT International is among the most popular news services on YouTube and currently has 4.66 million subscribers. Its content remains available on alternative platforms like Odysee and Rumble.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced it will restrict European users from accessing RT and Sputnik on its platforms after receiving “requests from a number of governments.”
US-based tech platforms previously banned the Russian news organizations from monetizing their content.
RT and Sputnik broadcasts were banned by some EU nations, with a bloc-wide ban currently in the pipeline.
Russia launched a military operation against Ukraine last Thursday, claiming it was necessary to demilitarize the country and put a stop to threats posed by NATO’s creeping expansion into Ukraine.
Western nations retaliated with massive economic sanctions and other restrictions. The goal, according to French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, is to “wage a total economic and financial war” against Moscow and to “cause the collapse of the Russian economy.”
