The search giant is applying rules that were already in place
Big tech companies like Google and Apple haven’t backed away from the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Many have pulled or limited services to Russia, up to shutting down the ability for Russian consumers to buy their products. One of the most recent measures demonstrates just how much power one of the tech giants can wield, as Google has said it will not allow ads that exploit the war — or that assist Russia — to play on websites, apps, or YouTube channels.
Google announced earlier this week, Reuters reports, that its decision is applying existing policies that don’t allow ads to appear alongside any content that might incite violence or deny tragic events. Reuters got a look at an email Google sent to publishers regarding its decision, which said no ads would run beside any media indulging in “victim blaming, such as claims that Ukraine is committing genocide or deliberately attacking its own citizens.”
Facebook and Instagram are blocked in Russia — as is Google News, after the country’s version of the FCC, Roskomnadzor, claimed it had misreported the Russian invasion. Roskomnadzor has also warned YouTube to take down what it calls “anti-Russian” content, a move that could easily be construed as an unsubtle warning that the site will be blocked. YouTube is still available in Russia, but it might be on borrowed time.
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