Roskomnadzor, Russia’s official communications regulator, demanded that Google restore access to Russian media’s YouTube channels in Ukraine on Sunday. It’s worth noting that Google had earlier said that “in light of unprecedented conditions in Ukraine,” it was delaying the ability of Russian state-owned media to sell content with advertisements on all of its platforms.
In response, Roskomnadzor said it had written to Alphabet Inc’s Google, requesting that all restrictions imposed in the Russian-language YouTube channels of media outlets such as RBC, TV Zvezda, and Sputnik be removed as soon as possible. The press service of Russia’s media watchdog demanded reasons for the restrictions in the first place.
According to Sputnik, Roskomnadzor had previously obtained information “regarding restrictions imposed by the management of YouTube video hosting platform on Russian-Language channels on the territory of Ukraine” from the editorial offices of the aforementioned offices. Furthermore, Roskomnadzor stated that such acts contradict the fundamental principles of open information distribution and unrestricted access to it by citizens.
