Google is hoping to cut down on Russian-based ads

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Google is taking down AdSense accounts based in Russia, citing “ongoing developments" in the country.

What these developments are exactly has not been revealed, but Russia-based AdSense accounts will be unable to make money from ad placements on Google managed sites.

This includes YouTube, which Russia has frequently stated hosts illegal content including videos and advertisements critical of the Kremlin and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

No money for Russian ads

The statement from a Google spokesperson stated, “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.”

An earlier message sent to Russian accounts and seen by Reuters read, “Your July earnings will be disbursed around 21–26 of August, assuming you have no active payment holds and meet the minimum payment threshold.”

Lawmakers in Russia have blamed Google for failing to provide sufficient investment in its technology based in Russia, upon which they blame slowdowns on the YouTube video hosting service in Russia, something Google and tech experts reject.

YouTube previously stopped serving adverts to its Russia-based users in the immediate aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and prevented the monetization of any videos that advocated for the war. In total, 5.5 million videos were blocked, alongside over 1,000 channels which included Russian state-sponsored news channels.

This decision drew criticism from Russia, with Russia’s parliamentary committee deputy head, Anton Gorelkin, stating that, “Google has continued to segregate citizens according to nationality, completely closing off the possibly of monetisation for Russians.”

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Benedict has been writing about security issues for over 7 years, first focusing on geopolitics and international relations while at the University of Buckingham. During this time he studied BA Politics with Journalism, for which he received a second-class honours (upper division), then continuing his studies at a postgraduate level, achieving a distinction in MA Security, Intelligence and Diplomacy. Upon joining TechRadar Pro as a Staff Writer, Benedict transitioned his focus towards cybersecurity, exploring state-sponsored threat actors, malware, social engineering, and national security. Benedict is also an expert on B2B security products, including firewalls, antivirus, endpoint security, and password management.