Google Removes Content From RT, Russian State Media Accused Of Spreading Disinformation

Google has also restricted news companies funded by the Russian government. (photo: doc. unsplash)

JAKARTA - Alphabet's Google Inc, on Tuesday 1 March, confirmed that it had removed Russian government-funded publishers such as the RT site from news-related features, including on the Google News search engine.

This decision was taken after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the various sanctions that have been applied to Russia. For example, such as economic sanctions and cessation of shipments of technological products to the country.

Kent Walker, Google's president of global affairs, earlier also said in a blog post last Tuesday that it was working to stop the spread of news or misinformation.

"In this extraordinary crisis we are taking extraordinary steps to stop the spread of misinformation and disrupt online disinformation campaigns," Walker said in a blog post.

It was also previously reported by Reuters, that Google has also restricted news companies funded by the Russian government from being able to run advertising features and some features on YouTube.

Google's move received a fierce response from the RT editor. According to RT's Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Anna Belkina, that the technology company that has cut its outlet distribution does not present "a single grain of evidence that what RT has reported so far, and continues to report, is not true."

"This collective 'formation' appears to be afraid only of the presence of outside voices for fear of losing the audience they have historically captured, if that audience finds a different perspective," the statement said.