YouTube blocks the German version of RT and generates a new disagreement between Russia vs. Germany

One of the emblematic media of Russia worldwide, RT will no longer be able to broadcast its content in German because YouTube decided to block his channel on the powerful video platform arguing that they violated their disinformation policy on COVID-19.

For the editor-in-chief of RT, Margarita Simoyan, it is a “Authentic media war of Germany against Russia “. But it is also about a new confrontation between the Kremlin and the American tech giants, against the backdrop of the renewed rivalry between Berlin and Moscow.

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“I’m looking forward to my home state banning Deutsche Welle and other German media in Russia without delay, as well as closing the ARD and ZDF offices.”Simoyan reacted, referring to German public broadcasters.

Margarita Simonyan is the editor-in-chief of the RT channel, one of the Russian state media with the largest international presence. (AP Photo / Alexander Zemlianichenko, File) (Alexander Zemlianichenko /)

Although the German Government has indicated that it has not exercised any influence on the decision to YouTube, the atmosphere has become tense between both countries.

“I want to say in crystal clear terms that this is a YouTube decision, and the German government, or representatives of the German government, have nothing to do with this decision.”Executive spokesman in Berlin, Steffen Seibert, told reporters. “So anyone who argues that is building a conspiracy theory,” he replied.

However, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it will call for retaliatory measures against YouTube and other German media, adding that this response was “Not only appropriate, but also necessary.”

The German security services consider the German service of RT as a propaganda branch of the Russian state.

RT, formerly known as Russia Today, offers its coverage in German over the Internet, but has so far not obtained a license to broadcast in Germany via a terrestrial or satellite signal.

El Kremlin vs. Google

The decision of YouTube, owned by the American Google, prompted the Russian state agency that oversees communications, Roskomnadzor, to threaten to block the popular video platform, which is the second most viewed Internet page in the country.

For the Russian government, this is yet another attempt by the West to “Silence uncomfortable sources of information.”

The spokesman for the Russian Presidency, Dmitri Peskov, denounced that the ban on RT in German is an illegal restriction that “grossly violates” the laws of Russia, as well as being an act of censorship that hinders the work of the Russian media.

However, the disputes between the Russian government and the tech giants are not new.

YouTube is the second most viewed website in Russia. REUTERS / Lucy Nicholson / File Photo (Lucy Nicholson /)

The EFE agency explains that the origin of the disagreements date back to 2017, when the United States forced RT to register as a foreign agent to continue operating in the country.

“From that moment on, the Kremlin launched a crusade against US technology companies to protect its digital space from external interference while limiting the activities of activists and opponents on the Internet.” EFE explains.

The government, then, created RuNet, a kind of Russian Internet that has the ability to detach itself from the global network and function independently, in the event of foreign aggression, but which aims to neutralize any uncomfortable information for the government, in pure Chinese style.

As part of the strategy of Vladimir Putin to regulate the digital space, it was required to Google, Facebook, Twitter, Telegram y TikTok to withdraw “prohibited information” related to “extremist propaganda”, such as unauthorized protests linked to the Russian opposition and one of its emblematic figures, such as Alexei Navalni.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has promoted the creation of RuNet, a kind of Russian Internet that has the ability to separate itself from the global network. (Vladimir Smirnov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) (Vladimir Smirnov /)

The uncomfortable opponent and the ‘hackers’

Navalni, who is being held in a prison camp near Moscow, returned to Russia earlier this year after spending several months in Germany, where he recovered from poisoning.

The opponent continues to accuse the Kremlin of the assassination attempt, while the Russian government did not like at all that Germany was the host country.

A new dispute between the two countries occurred a few weeks ago, when German authorities did not hesitate to accuse the Russian intelligence services of being behind a broad hacking against computers of the German Parliament, Angela Merkel’s party and the Social Party Democracia (SPD), just before the legislative elections on September 26.

According to the spokesperson for the German Chancellery, Andrea Sasse, on September 10, it was feared that this hack would influence the elections through a “Disinformation campaign”.

The Kremlin, of course, denied being behind any ‘hacking’ attempts.

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