Alphabet’s Google announced on Monday that it will deactivate AdSense accounts in Russia, citing the inability to process payments for its advertising service users in the country. The decision, effective August 2024, marks the latest move in the tech giant’s ongoing response to the complex and evolving situation in Russia.
AdSense, a service that allows website and content owners, including YouTube creators, to earn money from advertisements managed by Google, will no longer be accessible to users based in Russia. “Due to ongoing developments in Russia, we will no longer be able to make payments to Russia-based AdSense accounts that have been able to continue monetising traffic outside of Russia. As a result, we will be deactivating these accounts effective August 2024,” a Google spokesperson confirmed.
In a message sent to affected users, Google indicated that final payments for July earnings would be disbursed between August 21 and 26, provided account holders meet the necessary criteria and have no outstanding payment holds.
Although Google did not elaborate on the specific reasons behind the decision, the company has faced mounting pressure in Russia, particularly since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In recent weeks, Russian lawmakers have attributed slower speeds on YouTube, Google’s video hosting platform, to the company’s alleged failure to upgrade its equipment in Russia. However, Google and technology experts have disputed these claims.
Since March 2022, Google has taken a firm stance against the Russian government’s actions, halting ads to users in Russia and suspending the monetisation of content that exploits, dismisses, or condones Russia’s war in Ukraine. The company has also blocked over 1,000 YouTube channels, including those associated with state-sponsored news, and removed more than 5.5 million videos deemed inappropriate or harmful.
Despite these actions, YouTube has remained one of the few platforms in Russia where users could freely access content without severe restrictions, even as the Russian government has tightened its grip on independent media and
online expression.
The latest move by Google has drawn criticism from Russian lawmakers, with Anton Gorelkin, deputy head of Russia’s parliamentary committee on information policy, accusing the company of contributing to the division of the online world. “Google has continued to segregate citizens according to nationality, completely closing off the possibility of monetisation for Russians,” Gorelkin wrote on Telegram.
The situation further deteriorated in March when Russia enacted a law banning advertising on publications, including YouTube channels, by individuals or organisations labeled as “foreign agents”—a designation frequently applied to anti-Kremlin politicians, activists, and media outlets.
As geopolitical tensions persist, the future of digital and online services in Russia remains uncertain, with companies like Google navigating a challenging landscape defined by legal restrictions, political pressures, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Melissa Enoch
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