February 28, 2022

Russia’s state communications regulator, Roskomnadzor has written to Google after the platform restricted its media access in Ukraine.

The regulator called on Google to restore access to Russian-language YouTube channels owned by media companies such as RBC, TV Zvezda, and Sputnik.

The request by Roskomnadzor highlights the series of battles between the Russian government and technology companies such as Facebook’s Meta, Google and others.

While several technology platforms have imposed sanctions on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine, the Russian government has also retaliated by partially restricting Meta’s Facebook access in the country.

According to Roskomnadzor, Facebook failed to comply with its call to remove restrictions on four Russian media on its platform, including the RIA news agency, Zvezda TV of the Defence Ministry’s Zvezda TV, and the websites gazeta.ru and lenta.ru.

For more information, read the original story in Reuters.