Google stops selling ads on search and YouTube in Russia

Google temporarily stops selling ads in search results and YouTube in Russia because of the war in Ukraine. The move comes after the Russian telecoms authority demanded that Google stop advertising with ‘incorrect political information’.

In addition to search and YouTube, Google will also temporarily stop selling advertisements from third-party publishers with which it cooperates in Russia. “Given the exceptional circumstances, we are pausing Google ads in Russia. The situation is changing rapidly and we will continue to provide updates as needed,” Google told Reuters.

On Thursday, the Russian telecom watchdog Roskomnadzor ordered that Google stop video ads on YouTube that show ‘incorrect political information’ about Ukraine. According to the authority, there were large-scale “advertising campaigns to misinform the Russian public” and misrepresent the situation. The Wall Street Journal reported that.

Google has already stopped selling ads to media financed by the Russian government. Twitter and Snap also stopped selling ads in Russia following the war in Ukraine.