Russia to Google: Don’t advertise ‘illegal’ events after election protests

MOSCOW: Russia’s state communications watchdog has asked Google to stop advertising “illegal mass events” on its YouTube video platform.
Tens of thousands of Russians staged what observers called the country’s biggest political protest for eight years on Saturday, defying a crackdown to demand free elections to Moscow’s city legislature. Multiple YouTube channels broadcast the event live.
The watchdog, Roscomnadzor, said some entities had been buying advertising tools from YouTube, such as push notifications, in order to spread information about illegal mass protests, including those aimed at disrupting elections.