Big Tech Sites Block Russian State Media

Tech giants such as Facebook, TikTok and YouTube have blocked Russian state media in the European Union.

According to Business Insider, these tech companies have banned Russian state media, such as Sputnik and Russia Today, across the EU as Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, continues its attack on Ukraine. Ukraine asked the companies to cut Russia off last week.

Regarding the effect of Russian media, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the ''Kremlin's media machine'' will be banned in the EU, adding that ''the state-owned Russia Today and Sputnik, and their subsidiaries, will no longer be able to spread their lies to justify Putin's war. We are developing tools to ban their toxic and harmful disinformation in Europe.''

Facebook's president of global policy, Nick Clegg, said Monday that a ''number of governments and the EU'' requested that the company restrict Russian state media, stating that ''given the exceptional nature of the current situation, we will be restricting access to RT and Sputnik across the EU at this time.'' 

Google, which owns YouTube, said that ''due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, we're blocking YouTube channels connected to RT and Sputnik across Europe, effective immediately.'' TikTok confirmed that it would ban Russia Today, Sputnik and their affiliates in Europe as well.

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