YouTube has confirmed it has suspended five right-wing political channels believed to be affiliated with the Department of Justice US media indictments linked to Russia this week. The platform pulled the Tenet Media channel CNN informed being a company not named in the indictment. The DOJ has accused Russian operatives of paying a media organization to spread disinformation designed to influence the 2024 US election.
A YouTube spokesperson confirmed the removal of the video and told Engadget. “Following the US Department of Justice’s indictment and careful review, we are suspending the Tenet Media channel and the four channels operated by its owner, Lauren Chen, as part of our ongoing efforts to combat coordinated influence operations,” the company said in a statement.
According to YouTube, the investigation into the situation is ongoing and the company will assess whether further action is needed as new information comes to light. The company said it suspended more than 4,000 YouTube channels in the second quarter of 2024 as part of investigations into Russia-related influence operations. Works with YouTube Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) to identify bad actors and deplatform their channels and accounts accordingly.
on wednesday The DOJ charged two employees of RT (before Russia Today), a Kremlin-backed media outlet. They were accused of illegally funding a Tennessee-backed media organization, all now officially confirmed as Tenet Media. DOJ prosecutors allege in the indictment that the media company’s founders knew the funding was coming from the Russian government. Tenet Media is owned by Chen and her husband, Liam Donovan.
The Washington Post reports YouTube was Tenet’s preferred platform for distributing propaganda videos aimed at US conservatives and featuring popular right-wing pundits. Among those working with the organization were Benny Johnson, Tim Pool and Dave Rubin. The channels even featured speeches by former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and RNC Chairwoman Lara Trump. “Pool” and “Rubin” companies denied the information that the Russian government was behind the financing of Tenet.
