after Facebook, YouTube in turn blocks Russian media channels RT and Sputnik across Europe

Western sanctions targeting Russia are also numerical. Five days after the start of the invasion of Ukraine, the Facebook pages of Russian state media Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik have been made inaccessible from all European countries, the social network announced on Monday (February 28th). .

>> War in Ukraine: follow the evolution of the situation live

This ban also concerns the Instagram accounts of the two media. “A number of governments and the European Union have asked us to take additional measures” targeting Moscow-controlled media, Meta Group public affairs chief Nick Clegg said on Monday. This justified the choice to comply of the social network by the “exceptional nature of the current situation”. “We will continue to work closely with governments on this issue”he added.

We have received requests from a number of Governments and the EU to take further steps in relation to Russian state controlled media. Given the exceptional nature of the current situation, we will be restricting access to RT and Sputnik across the EU at this time.

—Nick Clegg (@nickclegg) February 28, 2022

Meta Group, which owns Facebook and Instagram, is not alone in taking such action. The social network TikTok had taken a similar decision on Monday, reports The world. And it’s now YouTube’s turn, Tuesday, March 1, to block Russian media channels, announced the firm in an email sent to AFP. And this “with immediate effect”even if the operation requires “a little time before being fully operational”. “Our teams continue to monitor the situation 24 hours a day to act as quickly as possible”added YouTube.

On Sunday, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced that the two media would be banned from the European Union in order to prevent them from broadcasting their “lies” about Moscow’s war in Ukraine. The RT France channel immediately announced its intention to challenge any blocking measure in court.