Google blocks Press TV’s accounts for 6th time
Yusef Jalali
Press TV, Tehran
Google has for the sixth time targeted Press TV, blocking its access to its official YouTube account. Google’s move once again came without prior notice.
"Your Google account was disabled and can't be restored because it violated export laws.”
This message appeared on Saturday after Press TV tried to log into its YouTube account. Well Google’s move didn’t come as a surprise for Press TV’s Multimedia Office, as in the past there have been similar attacks.
The latest one was in April last year when the US tech giant shut YouTube and Gmail accounts of both Press TV and its sister channel Hispan TV without any prior notice.
Google cited violation of export laws as the main reason behind disabling Press TV’s account.
The United States export laws and regulations prohibit the use of and access to controlled information, goods, and technology for reasons of national security or protection of trade.
Press TV however calls Google’s reasoning a disappointing pretext, since the international news channel has never published any content that would breach export laws.
Press TV was launched in 2007 with the motto of the Voice of the Voiceless. It tries to shed light on major regional and global issues from perspectives that are either ignored or distorted by mainstream media. Observers say Google’s move to pull the plug on Press TV is part of Washington’s attempts to silence Iranian media because they debunk US lies.
Over the past years, Press TV was targeted by several similar attacks. In July 2013, it was forced off the air in the UK after media regulator Ofcom revoked its license for allegedly breaching the Communications Act.
Press TV was also taken off air in North America in the same year. Google’s previous removals of Press TV’s accounts also came without any advance notice, sufficing to cite a nebulous “violation of policies.”
While it's not the first time Press TV is targeted by Google's openly biased and unprofessional attitude, a safe conclusion can quickly be made, and that is, Press TV has been so successful in materializing its voice of the voiceless motto, that it prompted its mainstream rivals to go out on a limb and violate the most basic principles of freedom of media to muzzle the truth.
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