Google’s Senior Vice President Sundar Pichai gives a keynote address during the opening day of the 2015 Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona on March 2, 2015.
Lluis Gene | AFP | Getty Images
Google has suspended all advertising in Russia.
The decision comes after Russia’s internet watchdog, Roskomnadzor, accused YouTube, a division of Google, of running large advertising campaigns to misinform Russians about the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
Roskomnadzor had demanded that Google stop showing what it perceived to be false ads about the Ukraine war, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal Thursday.
“In light of the extraordinary circumstances, we’re pausing Google ads in Russia,” a Google spokesperson told CNBC Friday. “The situation is evolving quickly, and we will continue to share updates when appropriate.”
The suspension applies to ads on search, YouTube and display marketing.
Earlier this week, Google stopped advertising content produced by Russian state media, adding that it did not want people to take advantage of the conflict for financial gain.
