The YouTube video platform (owned by Google) removed the official channels of three major Belarusian state media outlets: the BelTA agency and TV channels STV and ONT. News of the block spread widely on the evening of 3 April 2026. Users see the platform’s standard notices that the account is restricted; Belarusian outlets themselves, as well as independent observers, note that the corporation has not issued a public explanation with a detailed rationale.

The Belarusian side’s position

According to BelTA, the move is linked to sanctions-related restrictions. At the same time, the agency stresses that BelTA itself is not under sanctions. The Information Ministry called the step unfriendly and unjustified and said it reserved the right to respond. Later the Foreign Ministry, the head of the CIS Executive Committee, and other official bodies commented. BelTA’s news feed also carried reactions from foreign media associations.

Scale

This is not only about stopping new uploads but about the disappearance of multi-year archives on the platform. According to figures cited in overview pieces (including references to STV metrics), the TV company’s channel had more than 2.4 million subscribers, and the combined reach of selected projects in 2025 was estimated at over 1.7 billion views.

Independent commentators tie the removals to Western sanctions on state media structures and related legal entities (public discussion includes the role of Belarusian State Television and Radio Company and similar entities under EU and US sanctions regimes). Without a separate corporate statement, the exact legal chain by which Google’s moderation removed these specific accounts remains a matter of interpretation.

The episode deepens polarisation in the media space: Belarusian state content loses a lawful presence on the world’s largest video service, the authorities promise a response, and viewers are urged to be careful with duplicate channels and to move to other platforms.