YouTube announced on Saturday “suspending” the possibility for certain Russian channels, including RT, to monetize their content on its platform, because of the “exceptional circumstances” in Ukraine.
YouTube also announced that access to RT (ex-Russia Today) and other Russian channels had been restricted in Ukraine, a country facing an invasion by Russia for three days.
Revenue on YouTube is generated through the delivery of advertisements displayed when watching hosted videos. On Friday, Facebook also said it had banned Russian state media from making money through it on its platform.
“In light of the exceptional circumstances in Ukraine, we are taking a number of actions,” a YouTube spokesperson said.
“Our teams have begun suspending the ability of certain channels to generate revenue on YouTube, including RT channels globally,” he continued.
The video platform also clarified that the recommendations, redirecting users to these channels, would be “greatly limited”.
“And in response to a government request, we have restricted access to RT and a number of other channels in Ukraine,” YouTube said.
The platform also said it had deleted “hundreds of channels” and “thousands of videos” in recent days, some of them for “deceptive practices”, in accordance with its rules.
In early February, Germany banned RT on its territory, prompting Moscow to close the office of German radio and television Deutsche Welle in Moscow.
RT is regularly accused in the West of contributing to disinformation.
Launched in 2005 as “Russia Today”, the Russian state-funded RT has grown with broadcasters and websites in multiple languages, including English, French, Spanish, German and Arabic.