Google blocks RT, Sputnik from Play app store: Report
Alphabet Inc.'s Google has blocked mobile apps connected to the prominent Russian channels of Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik from its Play store.
The measure, which was taken over Russia's military actions in Ukraine, came in line with an earlier move to remove the Russian state publishers from its news-related features.
Several tech companies have limited distribution and advertising tools to Russian news outlets in recent days.
This comes as the European Commission is preparing to impose a ban on the outlets out of concern that they are allegedly spreading misinformation about the war in Ukraine.
In a statement on Tuesday, RT Deputy Editor-in-Chief Anna Belkina said that technology companies that have cut the outlet's distribution have not provided any evidence that it has reported falsehoods.
Meanwhile, Apple Inc. said on Tuesday that RT News and Sputnik News were no longer available for download from its App Store outside Russia.
YouTube has also taken down the two channels. “Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, we’re blocking YouTube channels connected to RT and Sputnik across Europe, effective immediately,” Google Europe tweeted on Tuesday.
In addition, Twitter Inc. has said that it would label tweets containing contents from the Russian state-controlled media outlets and reduce their visibility.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday a “special military operation” in Ukraine’s Donbas region to “defend people” subjected to "genocide" there against government forces, stressing that Moscow has “no plans to occupy Ukrainian territory.”
Biden called the Russian action an "unprovoked and unjustified attack," and the American media described it as the biggest assault on a European state since World War Two assault by Russia.
Also on Sunday, Google banned downloads of RT's mobile app on Ukrainian territory at the request of the government in Kiev.
"In response to a legal request from the Ukrainian government, the RT News app is no longer available for download on Google Play in Ukraine," a Google spokesperson said on Sunday.
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