Roku to remove Russian state media app globally

Roku will join several other technology-related companies in imposing a ban on Russian state-controlled media over the nation’s invasion of Ukraine. 

The streaming media company will remove Russia Today, a state-owned television network, from its Channel Store globally, a Roku spokesperson said Tuesday after already imposing the restriction in Europe on Monday.

On Monday, Facebook announced that access to Russian state-controlled media would be restricted across the European Union.

Meanwhile, Twitter said it would label tweets with links to Russian state-affiliated media websites.

Last week, YouTube, which is owned by Google, also imposed policies to prohibit Russian media channels from making money from ads on the video-sharing platform. 

In Russia, independent media and news organizations that have been critical of the attack on Ukraine have reportedly been removed from the air.

The Kremlin has repeatedly spread propaganda about its attack and has instructed state media not to refer to the ongoing attack in Ukraine as a “war.” It has also falsely accused Ukraine and NATO-allied countries of being the aggressors of the conflict.  

Meanwhile, the Russian military has targeted hospitals and civilian centers in its attack on Ukraine as the invasion is expected to intensify in the coming days.