Google Removes Over 11,000 YouTube Channels Tied to China and Russia for Spreading Propaganda
Google removes over 11,000 YouTube channels linked to China and Russia for spreading propaganda. Over 30,000 accounts removed in total in H1 2025.
image for illustrative purpose
As part of a broad campaign against disinformation and state-sponsored propaganda, Google said it had deleted more than 11,000 YouTube channels, most of which were associated with Russia and China.
Top of the List: China
Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) found that more than 7,700 channels were associated with China, many of which shared content in both Chinese and English. These movies mostly supported storylines from the Chinese government, gave President Xi Jinping acclaim, and occasionally criticised U.S. foreign policy.
🌷🌺 Russia is not far behind.
More over 2,000 channels were cut from Russia, making it the second-largest source. These accounts, which in some cases were directly connected to Russian state media, such as RT (Russia Today), emphasised pro-Russian sentiments and attacked NATO, Ukraine, and the West.
Outside of Russia and China
Two nations were not the only ones affected by the crackdown. Additionally, Google acted against propaganda channels associated with the state from:
- Iran.
- The Azerbaijani
- Turkey.
- The country of Israel
- The Romanian
- Ghana.
For instance, it was discovered that 457 Azerbaijani-affiliated channels were spreading pro-government propaganda while disparaging Armenia and its critics.
A Wider Struggle Against False Information
Google's continuous campaign to combat foreign propaganda and coordinated influence operations includes this effort. A representative for YouTube attested that these results are consistent with their routine examinations meant to maintain the platform's integrity.
In May 2025, Google also deleted four ad accounts, 20 YouTube channels, and one blog associated with Russia's RT network, which was charged of utilising influencers to affect public opinion, particularly in the run-up to the 2024 elections. After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, RT's primary YouTube feeds were already suspended.
More than 30,000 accounts were deleted in H1 2025.
Over 30,000 YouTube, Blogger, and Google Ads accounts were deleted in the first half of 2025. This demonstrates the growing resolve of tech platforms to combat disinformation, fake news, and foreign influence activities.
Google's actions are consistent with those of other digital companies. In an effort to combat misinformation, Meta, for example, recently deleted 10 million phoney profiles that were impersonating creators and celebrities.
