YouTube has banned the account of Russia’s State Duma (the lower house of parliament). The Kremlin responded by demanding the reinstatement of the account.
The termination of the account was first reported by AFP via Twitter. In a statement to POLITICO, Google confirmed the banning of the account.
“Google is committed to compliance with all applicable sanctions and trade compliance laws. If we find that an account violates our Terms of Service, we take appropriate action,” the company said.
This week, the West imposed more sanctions on Russia in light of the revelation of a massacre in Bucha, a suburb in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv.
Google did not specify why it banned the Duma’s channel, but it said it would be “closely monitoring the situation for any updates and changes.”
In response to the ban, Russia’s internet watchdog Roskomnadzor demanded the account to be reinstated and an explanation of why it was banned, according to a report by Russian news agency TASS. The internet watchdog argued the ban restricts access to information.
Early last month, YouTube banned the channels of Russia’s state-backed news outlets Sputnik and RT.
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