youtube Cracks Down on Global Propaganda: Thousands of Channels Removed in Q2
GoogleS video giant, YouTube, has intensified its efforts to combat state-sponsored disinformation, removing nearly 11,000 videos adn channels in the second quarter of 2025. The crackdown targeted propaganda originating from China, Russia, and several other nations, according to a recent update from Google’s Threat Analysis Group.
The majority of the removed content, over 7,700 channels, was linked to Chinese state-sponsored campaigns.These operations disseminated content in both English and Chinese, aiming to bolster support for China, criticize the Philippines, and promote President Xi Jinping, while also commenting on U.S. foreign affairs.
Beyond China, the platform also took action against over 2,000 channels promoting Russian propaganda. These campaigns, often multilingual, focused on narratives supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and criticizing Ukraine, NATO, and Western nations.In a significant move, Google also terminated YouTube channels, Ads accounts, and a blog associated with the Russian state-controlled media outlet RT. This action follows years of Google’s efforts to counter RT misinformation, predating the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. RT had previously been blocked by Western social media platforms in 2022.
The sweep also included channels sharing content in Turkish that supported the Turkish Victory Party, and several linked to Iran that promoted the Iranian government and expressed support for Palestine while criticizing Israel. Additionally, campaigns originating from azerbaijan, Israel, romania, and Ghana were also identified and removed.
This latest action builds on youtube’s ongoing commitment to content moderation. In May 2022, the platform removed over 70,000 videos and 9,000 channels related to the war in Ukraine, frequently enough due to content misrepresenting the invasion as a “liberation mission.” Such content violated YouTube’s policy on major violent events, which also covers the denial of past atrocities like the Holocaust and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Google suspended all advertising in Russia, including on YouTube. The company also refused to remove content related to the war that Russia deemed illegal, which ultimately led to Google news being banned in the country.
Previously, in October 2024, Russia imposed a substantial fine on Google, reportedly two undecillion rubles (approximately $20.5 decillion), for blocking Russian channels on YouTube. This fine significantly exceeded the estimated global GDP at the time.
