The pro-Russian authorities of eastern Ukraine's separatist republics announced, on Friday, that they had blocked Google for promoting "violence against Russians".
"We took the decision to block Google on the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic," rebel leader Denis Pushilin said on Telegram, accusing it of promoting "violence against Russians, in particular the people of the Donbas".
Moreover, Pushilin accused Google of working "openly on the orders of its curators in the American government".
He claimed the West and Ukraine were "creating unprecedented pressure on the physical and psychological safety" of the republic, aimed at "breaking" its people.
"We cannot tolerate this anymore," he said. "This is how you deal with criminals in any society: they are isolated from people."
In like manner, the neighboring Lugansk People's Republic blocked Google on Thursday. The move comes five months into Russia's military operations in Ukraine.
In March, Russia blocked Google News for spreading “inauthentic information” about the invasion of Ukraine. The ban came just hours after the US giant announced it would not allow users worldwide to monetize content that “exploits, dismisses, or condones” the war.
“We can confirm that we’re taking additional steps to clarify, and in some instances expand, our monetization guidelines as they relate to the war in Ukraine,” a Google spokesperson noted.
Follow the latest news on Google News
