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German government did not block RT’s channels, YouTube did — cabinet spokesman

Earlier, RT Chief Editor Margarita Simonyan said that YouTube deleted two of RT’s German-speaking channels — RT DE and DFP

German Cabinet spokesman Steffen Seibert EPA-EFE/CLEMENS BILAN

German Cabinet spokesman Steffen Seibert

© EPA-EFE/CLEMENS BILAN

BERLIN, September 29. /TASS/. The shutdown of the RT DE YouTube channel was YouTube’s own decision, and Berlin "has noted the fact," German Cabinet spokesman Steffen Seibert said Wednesday.

"This measure is YouTube’s own decision," he noted. "This measure was not taken by the Federal Government."

"We noted this decision. I have nothing else to say," the spokesman said, adding that he personally found out about the shutdown from media reports.

Earlier, RT Chief Editor Margarita Simonyan said that YouTube deleted two of RT’s German-speaking channels — RT DE and DFP. Russia’s IT watchdog sent a letter to Google, demanding the removal of all restrictions and an explanation for their imposition. Should Google refuse to comply, it may face a fine of up to 1 million rubles ($13,740), and up to three times as much, should it refuse again.

Russian Foreign Ministry called the shutdown of RT’s German-speaking projects "an act of unprecedented informational aggression" from YouTube, carried out with "an obvious connivance, if not insistence, of the German side."

YouTube claimed that the shutdown took place because RT channels violated the website’s rules by publishing Covid-related content that the platform considered misleading.

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