UPDATE: Google stops showing ads on pre-election, election days – watchdog

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MOSCOW, Sep 13 (PRIME) -- A check conducted by the Russian communications service has revealed that Google stopped distribution of illegal political advertisements on the pre-election and election days, September 8–9, after the company was addressed by the watchdog, Deputy Director Vadim Subbotin said on Thursday.

“As far as we know, Google on its own limited access of a number of entities to the exploitation of their advertising tools, in fact fulfilling our requirements,” Subbotin said.

The U.S. company earlier received letters from Russian authorities on inadmissibility of placing information about unsanctioned campaigns in Russia on the single elections day on the company’s resources. The communications service earlier said it was in constant dialogue with Google on the matter.

“We think that in order to avoid similar cases, Google should think of mechanisms to assess legitimacy of signing such dubious contracts for the provision by them of advertising options,” Subbotin said.

If the company provides opportunities for political advertisements on the threshold of the single voting day, the Russian law on elections is directly violated, he said.

Google blocked a number of videos with calls to campaigns on the elections day on its service YouTube.

“We had been cooperating with Google since the moment of addressing them with the demand to put an end to an illegal advertising campaign on video hosting YouTube. I’d like to remind that I mean provision by the service of a number of advertising tools to promote videos with calls to illegal massive campaigns on the single voting day,” Subbotin said.

“We registered distribution of such advertisements aimed at the Russian audience. It should not have taken place from the very beginning. And we could and should speak about measures from the part of foreign companies that were taken to abort illegal actions on the territory of the Russian Federation.”

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