On the demand of Russian internet regulator, Google has blocked showing ads in the country through its search, YouTube, and display streams.
This is because the Russian government blames Google for its ads which are conveying misinformation to Russians about the war situation with Ukraine. Google has already blocked RT and other Russian state media on YouTube to earn through ads.
Google Blocks Ads in Russia
Advertising is one of the core businesses of Google. And suspending it even for a while in major countries can hit the company hard. But it’s forced to do it anyway, considering the ongoing situations. On late Thursday, Google announced blocking ads in Russia, after the country’s internet regulator asked it do so.
These include all the display, search and YouTube ads, and are suspended since the Russian regulator claims the ads are misinforming Russian people about the ongoing Ukrainian war. Hitting a pause button for the Russian region, Google said;
“In light of the extraordinary circumstances, we’re pausing Google ads in Russia. The situation is evolving quickly and we’ll continue to share updates when appropriate.”
The company has already blocked Russian state-media channels like RT and others on YouTube to earn through Google ads and blocked them completely from Google News. Further, Google blocked all ads related to the ongoing war, since it didn’t want people to take financial gain from it.
Following the Russian internet regulator, the country’s communication watchdog too has appealed to Google to stop video ads since they’re misinforming Russians. For similar reasons, Google has blocked Russian state-media channels in Ukraine too.
The Russian government has earlier warned that it may prosecute Google employees for their company’s foul practices locally, so Google complying with the Russian rules should be logical. The company has over 100 employees in Russia.
