Google has blocked the YouTube channel of the Duma – Russia’s lower house of parliament – following the latest US sanctions on Moscow over the invasion of Ukraine.
In a statement, the US tech giant – which owns YouTube – said it was committed to compliance with “all applicable sanctions and trade compliance laws”.
The move drew an angry response from the Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, who accused the United States of trying to achieve a “monopoly of information”.
“It is another proof of Washington’s violation of rights and freedoms,” he was quoted as saying by the Russian news agency Tass.
The United States seeks a monopoly on information but we can’t have that
Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin
“Washington is ignoring all the principles of democracy to make sure that all platforms, including YouTube, present only the US position. The United States seeks a monopoly on information but we can’t have that.”
A spokesman for Google said: “Google is committed to compliance with all applicable sanctions and trade compliance laws.
“If we find that an account violates our terms of service, we take appropriate action. Our teams are closely monitoring the situation for any updates and changes.”
The move comes after YouTube last month removed a Russian prank channel which ran clips of hoax calls, purportedly from Ukrainian ministers, to UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Home Secretary Priti Patel.
