“In light of the extraordinary circumstances, we are pausing Google ads in Russia,” the company said in a statement. “The situation is evolving rapidly and we will continue to share updates when needed.”
The solution covers all Google advertising surfaces in Russia, including Google display advertising, YouTube and search, the company said. Google’s decision was first announced late Thursday by Reuters.
Google’s move comes when Russia appears ready to crack down on major technology platforms. The country’s communications regulator has sent numerous letters to Google and YouTube, along with other Western technology companies, complaining about restrictions on Russian state media. A recent Russian law also requires foreign technology platforms to open local offices in the country to continue doing business there, a move that policy analysts say is an effort to further bring technology companies under Russian jurisdiction.
Twitter announced a similar decision last week to suspend advertising in both Russia and Ukraine. It is unclear whether Meta (FB), the parent of Facebook, also intends to stop advertising in Russia. The company did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
Google and Meta had already taken steps to prevent Russian state media from running ads on their respective platforms.