Google is hoping to cut down on Russian-based ads

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Russian AdSense accounts are being shut down by Google

Russian flag on a laptop
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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.

 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 Collins
Benedict Collins
Senior Writer, Security

Benedict has been with TechRadar Pro for over two years, and has specialized in writing about cybersecurity, threat intelligence, and B2B security solutions. His coverage explores the critical areas of national security, including state-sponsored threat actors, APT groups, critical infrastructure, and social engineering.

Benedict holds an MA (Distinction) in Security, Intelligence, and Diplomacy from the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies at the University of Buckingham, providing him with a strong academic foundation for his reporting on geopolitics, threat intelligence, and cyber-warfare.

Prior to his postgraduate studies, Benedict earned a BA in Politics with Journalism, providing him with the skills to translate complex political and security issues into comprehensible copy.