Google has released its updated security report for the second quarter of 2025 as part of its global fight against state-sponsored disinformation. The report revealed that approximately 11,000 YouTube channels linked to China, Russia, and various other countries were shut down. This action stands out as one of the most comprehensive measures taken against the increasing prevalence of information manipulation on digital platforms in recent years.
YouTube Removes Accounts Linked to China and Russia
Accounts originating from China constituted the majority of the channels removed. According to the report, more than 7,700 China-linked channels were removed from YouTube. These channels primarily shared content in Chinese and English. The videos reportedly included statements praising the People’s Republic of China and President Xi Jinping, criticism of US foreign policy, and pro-China narratives.
The more than 2,000 channels linked to Russia were shut down primarily for anti-Ukraine content and criticism of NATO and Western countries. Google stated that these channels were also affiliated with state-backed media outlets and were conducting systematic campaigns aimed at influencing global public opinion.
In May, as part of a separate operation, 20 YouTube channels, four advertising accounts, and one Blogger blog belonging to the Russian state media outlet RT were removed from the platform. It was alleged that this network had offered payments to right-wing content creators for social media propaganda ahead of the 2024 US elections.
Among the names mentioned in the allegations are influencers known for their close ties to Trump, such as Tim Pool, Dave Rubin, and Benny Johnson. Google completely suspended RT’s YouTube feeds in March 2022 following Russia’s attacks on Ukraine.
Google’s second-quarter security report also highlighted other politically motivated campaigns conducted not only by China and Russia, but also by countries such as Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, Israel, Romania, and Ghana. These campaigns reportedly mostly target local political opponents, while in some cases, they offer alternative narratives to influence public perception during international crises such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The company announced that it removed more than 23,000 accounts for similar reasons in the first quarter of the year. The fact that the total number of deleted accounts exceeded 30,000 throughout 2025 highlights the scale of disinformation operations conducted on the platform.
Google states that these activities can have a significant impact during both election campaigns and international crises, and therefore, a more aggressive intervention strategy has been adopted.
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