Since the beginning of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Google and its subsidiaries have taken serious actions against Russian media. Mainly to prevent them from spreading propaganda. First, they were banned from running ads. Then, YouTube removed access to their channels globally. The European Union also asked Google to remove Russian-affiliated media from its search results. Now, Google is starting the process of demonetization to warn publishers over producing any content that might reinforce Russian propaganda. As per the report, Google has sent a message to publishers on Friday and said the demonetization will include “claims that imply victims are responsible for their own tragedy or similar instances of victim blaming, such as claims that Ukraine is committing genocide or deliberately attacking its own citizens.”
Google threatens publishers with demonetization
This is not the first time that Google is threatening the publishers that produce a certain type of content that is not pleasing to the company. Google has previously banned the far-right libertarian financial blog ZeroHedge and the far-right fake news website The Gateway Pundit from its ad platform. Google also has a history of blocking Martin Luther King’s famous “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” in the Atlantic. Such actions by Google may not be to the liking of free speech advocates. Also, it might reinforce the speculation that Google is using its position as the world’s largest search engine to control the news stream. In fact, Google may be trying to control and direct news flow in favor of a particular party. Dr. Maria Armoudian, a media pundit and college professor, says, “It’s worth noting that Google is not doing this with other wars and egregious human rights violations that are also occurring right now. So it’s also worthwhile to notice and to ask if this is going to be a new policy that applies ongoingly, or if this is selective caring about the lives of our fellow human beings.”
