Google Blocks Ads Monetizing on Russia-Ukraine War

One of the main differences between the current war Russia started in Ukraine is the corporations reacting to it, particularly IT giants like Google and Apple. The new restriction Google applies is, though, not as much against Russia but rather against advertisers trying to monetize the tragedies.

 In fact, this restriction is just a more detailed implementation of an already existing rule of advertising on Google. It says that any content that incites violence or denies tragic events should not be accompanied by ads. So, Russian propaganda about “ethno-selective bioweapons” or “Azov Nazis bombing Ukrainian civilians” will not be monetized. Neither will the articles that, even despite not being politically engaged, exploit the cruelties of war as clickbait.

 It's hard to deny, though, that this is the way for Google to react to the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine. Shortly after this, Roskomnadzor (the Russian censorship authority) banned Google News in Russia, and it’s quite possible that soon YouTube will follow the case. The formal reason for it is its refusal to remove what authorities call “anti-Russian” content, though anything that contradicts the propaganda can qualify as “anti-Russian”.

 Roskomnadzor will not stop before banning foreign services regardless of their popularity as it has demonstrated by banning Facebook and Instagram. Though Russian users still can access these services through VPN, small Insta businesses can’t target their audience correctly and thus can’t normally function. Most Russian YouTubers are already disappointed in the service after Google officially stopped monetization for Russian users.

 If you follow the events of the current war, where do you get the information? Is it easy for you to tell palatable sources from clickbait? Do you think this step by Google will make misinformation harder to monetize and thus less demanded? Tell us what you think in the comments!