American online video sharing and social media platform YouTube is immediately blocking access around the world to channels associated with Russian state-funded media, it said on Friday, citing a policy barring content that denies, minimizes, or trivializes well-documented violent events.
The world’s most used streaming video service, which is owned by Alphabet Inc’s Google, said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine now fell under its violent events policy and violating material would be removed.
YouTube spokesman Farshad Shadloo said the blocking of the Russian outlets was in line with that policy, ANI reported from Washington.
Previously, YouTube had blocked leading Russian state-backed channels RT and Sputnik across Europe.
Russian state media have called restrictions placed on them by distributors, which include app stores and other social media services, unjustified censorship.