Google must stop disseminating in Russia false ads on Ukraine situation - Roskomnadzor

MOSCOW. March 3 (Interfax) - Russia's telecoms watchdog Roskomnadzor has demanded that Google stop disseminating advertisements on the YouTube video hosting platform containing false information on Russian troops' actions on the territory of Ukraine, the agency said in a report.

"Roskomnadzor has sent a letter to Google LLC (responsible for Google's advertising activities on the territory of Russia) demanding that it immediately stop disseminating on the territory of Russia false information of a political nature on the special operation of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in Ukraine. Such advertising messages are demonstrated to Russian users of the YouTube video hosing platform and contain misinformation aimed at forming a distorted idea in the Russian Internet audience of the events that are taking place and creating protest sentiments," the report said.

Roskomnadzor demands that the administration of the video hosting platform "immediately revise the conditions of advertising content moderation and stop demonstrating it to Russian users." "The agency finds the use of YouTube in the infowar against the Russian Federation, including using the advertising capabilities of the site, to be unacceptable," Roskomnadzor said.

According to Roskomnadzor, "the U.S. video hosting platform YouTube is massively carrying out advertising campaigns to misinform the Russian Internet audience."

"Besides false content, such advertising has no age marks, which violates the rules of the video hosting platform and the current Russian legislation," the report said.

On February 28, Roskomnadzor demanded that the head company, Google LLC, stop disseminating such advertising messages. The agency then asked for immediate restriction of user access to such false materials as part of Google Ads context advertising.