Google has pulled the apps of RT and Sputnik from its Play Store in light of the war in Ukraine.
The Alphabet-owned company also took down Russian state-owned media content from its news products, including the Google News search.
The move follows Apple’s decision to stop selling all of its products online and in-person in Russia and comes in light of the European Union’s sanctions placed on the Kremlin-linked media outlets.
EU internal market commissioner Thierry Breton told Tech Crunch that the ban is “expected to cover all means of distribution or transmission, including internet video sharing platforms and applications.”
The European Union’s ban on RT and Sputnik was announced over the weekend.
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Social media platforms also announced they would be placing restrictions on Russia-backed media.
Facebook parent company Meta said it would restrict access to RT and Sputnik across the EU.
We will continue to work closely with Governments on this issue.
— Nick Clegg (@nickclegg) February 28, 2022
“We have received requests from a number of Governments and the EU to take further steps in relation to Russian state controlled media,” Meta President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg said. “Given the exceptional nature of the current situation, we will be restricting access to RT and Sputnik across the EU at this time.”
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Twitter also said it would reduce the visibility of the Russian-backed media across its platform and label tweets containing links to them.
YouTube also blocked Russian state-owned media in Europe.
