YouTube Deletes Russian State-Backed RT's German Language Channels Over COVID-19 Misinformation

RT even tried to use another channel to circumvent the YouTube ban on uploading.

By Reuters | Updated: 29 September 2021 11:51 IST

YouTube Deletes Russian State-Backed RT's German Language Channels Over COVID-19 Misinformation

RT's German channel was issued strike for uploading content that violated YouTube's misinformation policy

Highlights

The Russian broadcaster tried to use another channel to circumvent ban
All videos uploaded to YouTube must comply with its guidelines
US technology companies have come under fire from Biden administration

YouTube deleted Russian state-backed broadcaster RT's German-language channels on Tuesday, saying it had breached its COVID misinformation policy.

"YouTube has always had clear community guidelines that outline what is allowed on the platform," said a spokesperson.

Initially RT's German channel was issued a strike for uploading content that violated YouTube's COVID misinformation policy, resulting in a suspension of posting rights on the platform for a week.

COVID-19 Misinformation at US Public Forums Vexes Big Tech

During that suspension, the Russian broadcaster tried to use another channel to circumvent the ban on uploading.

"As a result both channels were terminated for breaking YouTube Terms of Service," said the spokesperson.

All videos uploaded to YouTube must comply with its guidelines which sets up the type of content allowed to be on the platform.

Twitter Partners With AP, Reuters to Battle Misinformation on Its Platform

Facebook and Amazon earlier this month were asked to provide a more thorough explanation of their efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation by US lawmakers.

US technology companies have come under fire from the Biden administration and other critics for the alarming spread of vaccine misinformation that they say is slowing inoculation in the country and increasing hostility to vaccines.

Companies including Twitter and Alphabet's Google as well as YouTube have also faced criticism in the past for allowing false information on COVID-19, including vaccines, to proliferate.

© Thomson Reuters 2021

This week on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast, we discuss the Surface Pro 8, Go 3, Duo 2, and Laptop Studio — as Microsoft sets a vision for Windows 11 hardware. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.