Google Cleans Up YouTube from Propaganda Channels
The American company Google has announced the removal of nearly 11,000 YouTube channels and other accounts linked to state-sponsored propaganda campaigns from China, Russia, and other nations in the second quarter of this year.
According to CNBC, over 7,700 YouTube channels associated with China were removed. These channels primarily spread content in Chinese and English that promoted the People's Republic of China, supported its leader Xi Jinping, and commented on U.S. foreign policy.
Additionally, more than 2,000 channels linked to Russia were deleted. This content, written in multiple languages, supported Russia while criticizing Ukraine, NATO, and the West.
In May, Google took down 20 YouTube channels, 4 Google Ads accounts, and 1 Blogger account associated with RT, a Russian state-sponsored media outlet accused of paying prominent conservative influencers to disseminate content on social media ahead of the 2024 U.S. elections.
It is noted that YouTube began blocking RT channels back in March 2022, shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
This active account removal is part of the efforts by Google's Threat Analysis Group to combat global misinformation campaigns and coordinated influence operations.
Previously, in the first quarter, Google removed over 23,000 accounts.
