Google Restricts New Accounts In Russia, Verification Of Two Factors Threatened To Not Work
JAKARTA - On Thursday, September 26, Russia's Ministry of Digital Affairs confirmed that Alphabet Inc's Google, a subsidiary, has restricted the creation of new accounts for users in Russia.
The move has followed persistent pressure on Google in Russia over the past few years, particularly with regard to the platform's policy of refusing to remove content Moscow deems illegal and blocking Russian media-owned YouTube channels as well as public figures following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
According to a report from the Interfax news agency, the ministry said that Russian telecommunications operators also recorded a significant decline in the number of SMS messages sent by Google to users in the country, particularly regarding two-factor verification.
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This raises concerns that confirmed SMS for such security services may no longer work in the future. Users are advised to create backup copies of data and consider switching to alternative authentication methods or local platforms.
Since last August, Google has deactivated an AdSense account in Russia following the termination of ads in the country in March 2022. The company has also blocked more than 1,000 YouTube channels including state-backed news media, and more than 5.5 million related videos.
The slow pace of YouTube in Russia has been in the spotlight in recent months. Russian lawmakers have accused this of Google's failure to update its technical equipment, although Google and technology experts have denied the claims.