YouTube to Block Channels Linked to Russia’s RT and Sputnik across Europe

Russia Today (RT) logo is seen on a smartphone in front of displayed YouTube logo in this illustration picture taken February 26, 2022. (Reuters)
Russia Today (RT) logo is seen on a smartphone in front of displayed YouTube logo in this illustration picture taken February 26, 2022. (Reuters)
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YouTube to Block Channels Linked to Russia’s RT and Sputnik across Europe

Russia Today (RT) logo is seen on a smartphone in front of displayed YouTube logo in this illustration picture taken February 26, 2022. (Reuters)
Russia Today (RT) logo is seen on a smartphone in front of displayed YouTube logo in this illustration picture taken February 26, 2022. (Reuters)

YouTube is blocking channels connected to Russian state-backed media outlets RT and Sputnik across Europe effective immediately, due to the situation in Ukraine, the company operated by Alphabet Inc's Google, said on Tuesday.

"It'll take time for our systems to fully ramp up. Our teams continue to monitor the situation around the clock to take swift action," a YouTube spokesperson said in a statement.

The company's actions follows that of Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc, which on Monday said it will restrict access to television network RT and news agency Sputnik on its platforms across the European Union.

Twitter Inc has also said that it would label tweets containing contents from the Russian state-controlled media and reduce their visibility.



Huawei Eyes Greater Role in Brazil Data Center Market

Huawei logo is seen during Munich Auto Show, IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich, Germany, September 8, 2021. (Reuters)
Huawei logo is seen during Munich Auto Show, IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich, Germany, September 8, 2021. (Reuters)
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Huawei Eyes Greater Role in Brazil Data Center Market

Huawei logo is seen during Munich Auto Show, IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich, Germany, September 8, 2021. (Reuters)
Huawei logo is seen during Munich Auto Show, IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich, Germany, September 8, 2021. (Reuters)

Chinese tech giant Huawei is interested in strengthening and improving its capacity as a supplier of data center solutions, it said in a statement to Reuters on Thursday, clarifying that it did not intend to invest directly in data centers.

Reuters had reported on Wednesday that Huawei was interested in Brazil's data center market but was waiting on the government to roll out a tax-break plan.

"We want the government to implement these incentives, which are good for the country, and the time has to be now," Atilio Rulli, Huawei vice president of public relations for Latin America and the Caribbean, told Reuters.

The government's plan to dole out tax breaks for tech investments in Brazil is set to be sent to Congress soon, a finance ministry adviser said last month.

Latin America's largest economy is looking to establish a foothold in the fast-growing data center industry, pulling from its ample renewable energy.

The country is already courting major investments from firms such as ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, Reuters has reported.

Huawei could provide connectivity, storage and energy for data centers, Rulli said, speaking on the sidelines of an event hosted by state development bank BNDES.

"Huawei continues to follow the incentive policy being conducted by the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services, and when in force, will continue to contribute reliable, scalable and sustainable solutions to accelerate the digital transformation in Brazil and Latin America," Huawei said in the statement on Thursday.