Russians won’t be able to make new Google accounts now as the Alphabet owned company has restricted the creation of new accounts for Russian users. According to the reports of state news agencies, Russian digital ministry jas confirmed this on Thursday. It is a widely known fact that Google has been facing some heat from the Russian authorities for quite a few years due to it’s refusal to take down some content that Moscow considers illegal. Google has also blocked some YouTube channels of Russian media and public figures since the Ukraine invasion which has further deepened the struggle.
Interfax quoted the digital ministry as saying, “The ministry confirms that Google has restricted the creation of new accounts. Telecom operators have also recorded a significant reduction in the number of SMS messages sent by the company to Russian users.”
According to Interfax’s report, the ministry has said that there isn’t any certainty whether the SMS confirmations for two-factor authentication would continue working or not.
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Russia Advises Making Backup Of Data & Switching To Alternate Platforms
The ministry said, “The ministry recommends that users of Google services create backup copies of their data and switch to using alternative methods of two-factor authentication or to domestic platforms.”
In August, Google announced that it was deactivating AdSense accounts in Russia.
The tech giant had already stopped showing ads to Russian users back in March 2022 and halted the monetization of content that supported or downplayed Russia’s war in Ukraine. Since then, Google has taken action by blocking more than 1,000 YouTube channels, including those tied to state-sponsored media, and removing over 5.5 million videos.
Recently, YouTube has experienced slower speeds in Russia, with local lawmakers attributing the issue to Google’s failure to upgrade equipment—an explanation that both the company and industry experts reject.