The Kremlin has urged Alphabet's Google to lift its block on Russian TV channels broadcasting on YouTube, expressing hope that the mounting legal claims against the US-based company will prompt action. Google halted ad serving to Russian users in March 2022 and suspended monetization of content deemed to exploit, dismiss, or condone Russia's war in Ukraine. Since then, the tech giant has blocked over 1,000 YouTube channels, including state-sponsored news outlets, and more than 5.5 million videos.
Russian business newspaper RBC recently reported that legal claims from 17 Russian TV channels against Google in Russian courts have accumulated to a staggering 2 undecillion roubles, a figure with 36 zeroes. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the enormous sum, which he admitted he couldn't even pronounce, as symbolic.
"These demands simply highlight the essence of our channels' claims against Google," Peskov told reporters. "Google should not restrict the activities of our broadcasters, and Google is doing this." He added that the mounting legal claims should serve as a wake-up call for Google's management to address the situation. "It's the best thing the company can do," he said.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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