"YouTube Removes Thousands of Propaganda Channels Linked to Russia, China, and Other Countries", 22 July 2025

Google revealed on July 21 that it had removed nearly 11,000 YouTube channels and accounts tied to state-backed propaganda campaigns from China, Russia, and other countries in the second quarter of 2025, as was reported on July 22.

Google removed more than 2,000 channels tied to Russia. These Russian-backed campaigns spanned multiple languages and were aimed at supporting Russia while attacking Ukraine, NATO, and the West.

This content aimed to push pro-Russian narratives, particularly targeting Ukraine’s sovereignty and its alliances with Western countries.

As part of this broader takedown, Google also removed 20 YouTube channels, four Ads accounts, and a Blogger blog linked to RT, the Russian state-controlled media outlet.

RT had been accused of paying prominent conservative influencers, including Tim Pool, Dave Rubin, and Benny Johnson, to produce content for Tenent Media. The Tennessee-based company was involved in spreading disinformation ahead of the 2024 US elections...

A YouTube spokesperson commented, “The findings from the most recent update are in line with our expectations of this regular and ongoing work”...