IMAGE SOURCE, REUTERSRussia has threatened to ban YouTube if it does not reinstate two German-language channels backed by the Russian state that were deleted for violating Covid misinformation guidelines.
Russian media watchdog Roskomnadzor accused YouTube of censorship. The agency ”demanded” that the channels be restored. It comes as YouTube also expanded its misinformation policies to cover all effective vaccines, not just Covid ones.
The tech firm said the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine being falsely attributed to causing autism, was one example of the types of content the new policy will cover which had previously been allowed.
Defying suspension
In the Russian argument, RT DE had already received a warning from YouTube for breaching coronavirus misinformation guidelines. It was given a week-long suspension from posting on the platform.
During this time, RT used a second channel – Der Fehlende Part – to upload content which also violated these policies. As a result, both were deleted by YouTube. But the move may have repercussions.
Internet service providers in Russia can limit or block the flow of data to websites, as instructed by the government. The state used these powers in March to restrict access to Twitter after Roskomnadzor said it failed to remove around 3,000 posts allegedly involving banned content.
“YouTube has always had clear community guidelines that outline what is allowed on the platform,” a spokesperson for the platform said.
In August, Sky News Australia was suspended on the platform for a week after posting videos that denied the existence of Covid and encouraged the use of unproven and potentially dangerous treatments hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin.
Source: bbc.com
