Russia to impose restrictions against YouTube after it shut down German-language Russia Today channel
The Russian authorities are preparing tough measures against YouTube, the newspaper Kommersant reports, citing a high-ranking source in the Russian government.
The penalties, according to Kommersant's source, are intended as a response to “the obstruction of work of the state television channel Russia Today in Germany”.
In addition to YouTube, the Russian authorities plan to revoke the broadcasting license of the German news agency Deutsche Welle, as well as limit advertising of German companies on Russian online media.
RT DE - the German-language TV channel of Russia Today - has been experiencing problems since the beginning of last year. In the spring, Germany’s Commerzbank blocked the RT accounts, and in September, RT YouTube channels were blocked "for violating the video hosting rules". The channel was accused of spreading fakes about Covid-19. RT DE opened a new YouTube channel, but it suffered the same fate.
In December, European satellite operator Eutelsat 9B removed RT DE from its broadcasting list. The decision was made at the request of the German media regulator MABB.
RT accused MABB of "illegal actions" and violation of the European Convention on Transfrontier Television.