Russia demands Google not to show illegal protest on its platform YouTube. (Moscow Times/Pixibay/YouTube)

Russia Wants Google to Stop Advertising Illegal Protest on YouTube

Russia is intensifying its pressure on Google to stop advertising recent illegal opposition rallies on YouTube. The Google-owned platform was accused of using push notification and other measures to spread information about the protest in Moscow which ended up with some activists taking illegal action.

The country’s media watchdog, Roscomnadzor, said on Sunday (8/11) some structures that operate YouTube channels have purchase advertising instruments to disseminate information about the unlawful protest—making users who do not even subscribe received unsolicited messages.

Russian senator Andery Klimov also made a statement saying the US tech company as one of the ‘foreign opponents’ that tried to manipulate opposition activists to join an illegal demonstration. It was considered as interference in Russia's sovereign affairs that obstructing a democratic election.

If the company failed to respond to the request, the government has a right to take an adequate reaction, Roscomnadzor added.

Earlier on Saturday (8/10), tens of thousands of people rallied in Moscow over demand for a free election that perceived as an attempt to suspend opposition candidates in the city’s upcoming legislature election. Despite having a smooth start, the police ended up detaining 130 attendees who were perceived to have been conducting unsanctioned protest during a city walk to the city’s center.

Google spokesperson in Russia declined to comment on this matter.

Russian and Google had a track record of a crack relationship. In late 2018, Russia fined the tech company US$7,663 for failing to comply with laws that required search engines to remove certain search results.

Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/russia-tells-google-not-to-advertise--illegal--events-after-election-protests-11800756