Roskomnadzor, the Russian censor, sent a letter to Google threatening to partially or completely block YouTube if it does not restore the channels. The threats further Russia’s escalating campaign to pressure American tech companies. Last week, Google and Apple agreed to remove a tactical voting app from their respective app stores after Roskomnadzor accused them of interfering in Russian elections. The move was viewed as a “shameful act of political censorship” by critics.
Retaliation to YouTube Deleting Two RT Channels
This latest tussle between Russia and American tech companies was set off when YouTube deleted two RT channels: RT DE and Der Fehlande Part. YouTube had initially given RT DE a week-long suspension for allegedly posting misinformation about COVID-19. However, the site said that RT DE tried to bypass the suspension by uploading videos through another channel, Der Fehlende Part. This act violated YouTube’s user terms, resulting in a permanent ban for both channels. Russia’s foreign ministry called the ban an “act of unprecedented information aggression” and urged Roskomnadzor to take action against Youtube.
Russia Attributes Blame to German Media
The foreign ministry also called for action against the German media in Russia. RT’s editor-in-chief, Margarita Simonyan, echoes these sentiments. She claimed the bans constitute a “true media war” between the two countries. Simonyan added that she was “looking forward” to Russia banning the main German public television broadcasters, ARD, ZDF, and Deutsche Welle. The German government, in response, distanced itself from the incident. Steffan Seibert, the German government’s spokesman, said that YouTube is solely responsible for the ban. “The German government, or representatives of the German government, have nothing to do with this decision,” he added. As part of a broader crackdown on free media, Russia has tried to put pressure on German state news media over the past two years. Previously, it has publicly threatened to withdraw Deutsche Welle’s accreditation.
Russia and American Tech Giants’ Recent History
Russian authorities took a grim view of YouTube’s move to ban the RT channels. Kremlin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov signaled that the company had “grossly violated” Russian laws. He added that if Russian law enforcement agencies found YouTube guilty of violating the country’s law, then it could take strict measures against the platform. This incident follows Google and Apple’s recent decision to remove content and de-list a tactical voting application from their respective app stores. The decision has alarmed liberal Russians, who view it as a move towards companies accepting broader censorship in Russia. Both tech giants have shied away from commenting on the matter, apart from stating they were following Russian laws.
