Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) announced last week that it will deactivate all Russia-based AdSense accounts. This decision, which the tech giant attributes to “ongoing developments in Russia,” in effect ends the ability of Russian creators to monetize their content through Google’s advertising platforms.
Scheduled for August 2024, the shutdown is the latest escalation in Google’s response to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Since February 2022, Google has implemented various restrictions on Russian-based advertising, including pausing monetization of state-funded media, temporarily halting all ads in the country, and blocking the creation of new Russia-based AdSense accounts, and blocking over 1,000 YouTube channels and 5.5 million videos.
This move is expected to impact Russian content creators, particularly YouTubers. Russia ranks second globally in YouTube web traffic, suggesting that many Russia-based creators may lose significant revenue streams. The final payouts for affected accounts are scheduled between August 21 and 26, 2024, provided there are no payment holds and minimum thresholds are met.
While Google has not provided specific reasons for this decision, Ars Technica notes that it may be influenced by recent Russian legislation. In March, Russia passed a law banning advertising on online platforms published by “foreign agents,” which could include anti-Kremlin politicians, activists, and media outlets.
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Some speculate that the shutdown might be related to users bypassing payment blocks imposed by Western sanctions on Russian banks. Google, however, has not confirmed this.
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