YouTube blocks 31 channels linked to Russian artists and propagandists in Ukraine

This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation.

The majority of the blocked resources are YouTube channels belonging to Russian musicians and cultural figures who support Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine, participate in propaganda activities, or are subject to sanctions imposed by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

In particular, access has been restricted to the channels of:

• Philip Kirkorov, Grigory Leps, Sergey Lazarev, and Valeria;
• Larisa Dolina, Irina Allegrova, and the band “Pelageya”;
• propaganda singers Denis Maidanov and Yulia Chicherina;
• opera singers Anna Netrebko and Vasyl Gerell.

Resources belonging to companies subject to sanctions, including the Russian division of Kaspersky, were also blocked.

The Center for Digital Policy noted that the blocked resources were used to spread Russian propaganda, glorify Russian war criminals, and support Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

The agency emphasized that it continues to work to cleanse the Ukrainian digital space of resources that serve as hubs of Russian information influence.

As a reminder, OpenAI blocked a group of ChatGPT accounts that were used by operators in Russia to carry out a disinformation campaign.