The Real Reason Google Just Paused Advertising In Russia
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to unfold, we’ve seen numerous big tech companies drawn into the discourse surrounding the conflict. Google is one of those big technology companies, and now following Russian demands to ban so-called “false” advertising about the conflict, Google has announced that it will suspend all advertising in Russia. It goes without saying that this is a big move for Google, as it makes much of its money through advertising across its various brands.
It’s a rare move for Google, too, but we’re seeing more of these global tech companies make these kinds of decisions between appeals from Ukraine and, in many cases, outright demands from Russia. Google is now saying that it will continue watching the situation unfold, but this decision to pull advertising from Russia is just the latest in a string of content decisions Google has made as it navigates the conflict.
Google’s decision to suspend advertising in Russia
Google must tread carefully in dealing with Russia
Whether or not Russia will be appeased by Google’s decision to halt advertising altogether is not something anyone can know, but it’s clear by this point that Russia is trying to wage a war of information and it’s trying to get big tech to play ball.Just a short while ago, Russia banned Facebook entirely, citing instances of “discrimination” against Russian media dating back to October 2020 and more recent restrictions of Russian media on the platform. Since Google took similar steps as Facebook, it may not be long before we see the country impose similar restrictions on platforms like YouTube.
