Google Has Stopped All Ad Sales in Russia Amid Suspension Demands
Google has said that the company has stopped selling online advertising in Russia. At the moment, the ban applies to Google search, YouTube, and a bunch of external publishing partners.
This move has come after a Russian regulator demanded Google to stop displaying ads that according to the regulator were spreading false information about the invasion of Ukraine.
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Google’s stance on the advertising ban in Russia
Google said that it has taken a rare step of putting a halt to its advertising business in Russia. This includes YouTube, display marketing, and search.
The announcement comes just a few days after the tech giant suspended advertising content that was created by Russian state media. The company said that it had already blocked a lot of ads related to the ongoing conflict as it did not want individuals to take undue advantage of the regional crisis for financial gain.
The written statement from Google read “In light of the extraordinary circumstances, we’re pausing Google ads in Russia. The situation is evolving quickly, and we will continue to share updates when appropriate.”
So far, Google is treading very cautiously with the Russian government through the course of the ongoing crisis as it has over 100 on-ground employees in the country.
In the past, the Russian government has issued prosecution threats to individual employees of companies that have not adhered to the rules.
Apart from suspending advertising in Russia, Google has banned Sputnik, RK, and other state-sponsored media from using YouTube in Europe.
The company has also clarified that it will not prohibit content from Russian media from showing on Google News.
Accusations against Google in Russia
The Wall Street Journal reported that Roskomnadzor, the Russian communications watchdog has asked Google to refrain from showing online video ads that show false political information regarding Ukraine.
The Russians are reportedly pointing fingers at Google, saying that YouTube, a unit of Google is running advertising campaigns to misinform Russians regarding the current events.
These accusations are the prime examples of how the world’s largest tech platforms are gradually turning into battlegrounds for how data is shared at the time of conflict.
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