Independent media websites blocked by the Russian and Belarusian authorities say they are disadvantaged by the Google search engine. Journalists are calling for a new algorithm.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Google, Meta and other tech giants are making it more difficult to access independent media content in Belarus, exiled journalists have told the European Commission.
By complying with restrictions imposed by Minsk,these companies have “become tools for a totalitarian and authoritarian regime to put pressure on civil society instead of helping to promote independent media,” the exiled journalist Natalia Belikova told the Financial Times in January.
Following the imposition of sanctions against Russia, many tech companies have shut down their offices, services and support there, restricting access for users, the report states.
Kettemann said Google and other companies in Russia, Belarus and China were in a bind — forced to comply with the authorities’ requirements to prevent endangering their employees.
“Google has not even tried to restore payment options for users or monetized Russian channels to support independent media and bloggers who live off advertising revenue.”
EU officials said they had no basis for imposing fines or taking legal action against IT companies that don’t help dissident journalists and writers in Belarus and elsewhere, according to the Financial Times report.
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