YouTube blocked Duma TV, which broadcasts from Russia’s lower house of parliament, prompting an angry response from officials who said the world’s most popular streaming service could face restrictions in response.
This Saturday (9), a message on YouTube said that the Duma channel had been “closed for violation of the YouTube Terms of Service”.
YouTube, owned by Alphabet Inc, is under pressure from Russian communications regulator Roskomnadzor and authorities were quick to respond.
“It looks like YouTube has signed its own warrant. Save the content, transfer it to Russian platforms. And hurry up,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on the Telegram messaging service.
The communications watchdog said it had requested that Google restore access to the Duma channel immediately.
“The American IT company adheres to a pronounced anti-Russian position in the information war unleashed by the West against our country,” Roskomnadzor said.
Google told Reuters in an emailed comment that it is committed to complying with all applicable sanctions and trade compliance laws.
“If we discover that an account violates our Terms of Service, we take appropriate action. Our teams are closely monitoring the situation for updates and changes.”
Vyacheslav Volodin, a spokesman for the Duma, said that YouTube’s action is further evidence of violations of rights and freedoms by Washington.
“The US wants to gain a monopoly on the promotion of information. We cannot let this happen,” Volodin said on Telegram.
Russia has already restricted access to Twitter and Meta Platforms, Facebook and Instagram since sending thousands of troops to Ukraine on February 24.
The country had previously tried to ban the messaging app Telegram, now widely used by authorities, but lifted its ban in mid-2020.
Some Russian media classified the move as a capitulation, but Roskomnadzor said he did so because the app’s Russian founder, Pavel Durov, was prepared to cooperate in combating terrorism and extremism on the platform.
Source: CNN Brasil
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