Why did YouTube deleted the channels of BelTA, STV, and ONT? Here's what is known
On the evening of April 3, YouTube deleted three state propaganda channels — BelTA, STV, and ONT.
The Ministry of Information stated that it negatively assesses this "unfriendly and baseless step" and reserves the right to take necessary response measures.
A version emerged that the reason for the blocking could be Roman Protasevich's STV program episode from April 2 about employees of the Belarusian Investigative Center, where he revealed journalists' mobile phones and addresses. Or his episode about participants in the Freedom Day celebration in Vilnius, where participants were revealed.
However, could this be the reason? Usually, if YouTube detects a violation in a video, it only deletes or restricts that specific video, issuing a warning to the author. Channel deletion is an extreme case, requiring a very serious violation of platform rules.
And the deletion of three indirectly related channels at once is very difficult to explain solely by a violation in a single video or two.
It is more likely that the Belarusian propaganda channels were deleted due to sanctions imposed on their owners. Why these three and not others — it is likely that they were registered by someone (or those) who are on the sanctions list.
"In fact, these channels should have been blocked a long time ago in compliance with the sanctions imposed on the owners of these channels, legal entities — Belteleradiocompany and others," — commented Franak Viačorka, Tsikhanouskaya's advisor, to 'Naša Niva'. —
Earlier, we raised this issue with Google, and they said that they block channels in compliance with sanctions in those countries that address them.
What led to the complete blocking and why now, we will try to find out in the near future.'"
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