{
  "id": "b3ac5c2b-0742-42bb-97b5-46df8ee11b3c",
  "url": "https://tagesschau.de/faktenfinder/rtde-youtube-101.html",
  "source": "extension",
  "status": "approved",
  "category": "Cyber & Information Warfare",
  "subcategory": "Information Operations",
  "incident_type": "Propaganda & disinformation campaigns",
  "country": "Germany",
  "source_reliability": "A",
  "info_credibility": "3",
  "tags": [
    "RT Deutsch",
    "YouTube",
    "Covid-19 misinformation",
    "Russian information warfare",
    "Disinformation campaign",
    "German media",
    "State broadcaster",
    "Information operations"
  ],
  "nodes": [
    "Node 2: 5th Column"
  ],
  "countries": [
    "Germany"
  ],
  "where_text": "Cyberspace",
  "headline": "YouTube blocks RT Deutsch channels over Covid-19 misinformation",
  "description": "YouTube deleted the channels of the Russian state broadcaster RT Deutsch in late September 2021 for violating the platform's rules against medical misinformation regarding Covid-19. RT Deutsch had about 600,000 subscribers on YouTube and embedded those videos in its website. RT's editor Margarita Simonjan called the move a 'media war' by Germany against Russia. RT executives have framed their activities as participating in a global 'information war' targeting the West. The German domestic intelligence agency views RT Deutsch and affiliates as instruments of Russian influence aiming to sway public and political opinion in Germany. RT has filed defamation lawsuits against critics in Europe and frequently spreads misleading coronavirus narratives. RT Deutsch has never been publicly reprimanded by the German press council due to not applying for its oversight. German diplomatic officials denied influencing YouTube or banking actions taken against RT subsidiaries.",
  "summary_short": "YouTube has deleted the channels of the Russian state broadcaster RT Deutsch due to violations of its medical misinformation policies related to Covid-19 in September 2021.",
  "summary_extended": "In late September 2021, YouTube removed the channels of the Russian state broadcaster RT Deutsch for spreading Covid-19 related misinformation, affecting around 600,000 subscribers. RT Deutsch had embedded YouTube videos on its own website, making the deletion a significant blow. RT's chief editor Margarita Simonjan framed the move as part of a 'media war' by Germany against Russia, hoping for reciprocal closures of German media in Russia, though no direct state action from Germany was tied to YouTube's decision. RT has admitted involvement in an 'information war' against the West, with executives describing the global battle over information as akin to a world war. The German intelligence agency considers RT Deutsch and its affiliates as tools of Russian influence to sway public opinion in Germany. RT has also aggressively litigated critics in Europe. The broadcaster propagated misleading Covid-19 narratives during the pandemic, which were widely shared among conspiracy groups in Germany. RT Deutsch has never been publicly reprimanded by Germany's press council, partly because it never subjected itself to its oversight.",
  "actor_primary": "RT Deutsch",
  "target_primary": null,
  "location_text": "Germany",
  "location_region": null,
  "location_coordinates_lat": 51.1657,
  "location_coordinates_lon": 10.4515,
  "location_precision": "Regional",
  "is_aggressor_signal": true,
  "signal_type": "HYBRID_SIGNAL",
  "is_hybrid_war_signal": true,
  "classification_complete": true,
  "hybrid_signal_complete": true,
  "classification_confidence": "High",
  "classification_rationale": "The article clearly details Russian state media (RT Deutsch) spreading disinformation and conducting information warfare via YouTube channels, which were removed due to policy violations, constituting a hostile hybrid signal.",
  "event_time_utc": "2021-09-28T00:00:00.000Z",
  "end_time_utc": null,
  "event_time_confidence": "pm24h",
  "created_at": "2026-04-28T14:21:00.052Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-04T08:35:32.139Z",
  "reliability_band": "strong",
  "location_precision_band": "regional",
  "time_precision_band": "within_24h",
  "severity_band": "moderate",
  "attribution_confidence_band": "high",
  "attribution_basis": "single_source"
}

{
  "id": "b3ac5c2b-0742-42bb-97b5-46df8ee11b3c",
  "url": "https://tagesschau.de/faktenfinder/rtde-youtube-101.html",
  "source": "extension",
  "status": "approved",
  "category": "Cyber & Information Warfare",
  "subcategory": "Information Operations",
  "incident_type": "Propaganda & disinformation campaigns",
  "country": "Germany",
  "source_reliability": "A",
  "info_credibility": "3",
  "tags": [
    "RT Deutsch",
    "YouTube",
    "Covid-19 misinformation",
    "Russian information warfare",
    "Disinformation campaign",
    "German media",
    "State broadcaster",
    "Information operations"
  ],
  "nodes": [
    "Node 2: 5th Column"
  ],
  "countries": [
    "Germany"
  ],
  "where_text": "Cyberspace",
  "headline": "YouTube blocks RT Deutsch channels over Covid-19 misinformation",
  "description": "YouTube deleted the channels of the Russian state broadcaster RT Deutsch in late September 2021 for violating the platform's rules against medical misinformation regarding Covid-19. RT Deutsch had about 600,000 subscribers on YouTube and embedded those videos in its website. RT's editor Margarita Simonjan called the move a 'media war' by Germany against Russia. RT executives have framed their activities as participating in a global 'information war' targeting the West. The German domestic intelligence agency views RT Deutsch and affiliates as instruments of Russian influence aiming to sway public and political opinion in Germany. RT has filed defamation lawsuits against critics in Europe and frequently spreads misleading coronavirus narratives. RT Deutsch has never been publicly reprimanded by the German press council due to not applying for its oversight. German diplomatic officials denied influencing YouTube or banking actions taken against RT subsidiaries.",
  "summary_short": "YouTube has deleted the channels of the Russian state broadcaster RT Deutsch due to violations of its medical misinformation policies related to Covid-19 in September 2021.",
  "summary_extended": "In late September 2021, YouTube removed the channels of the Russian state broadcaster RT Deutsch for spreading Covid-19 related misinformation, affecting around 600,000 subscribers. RT Deutsch had embedded YouTube videos on its own website, making the deletion a significant blow. RT's chief editor Margarita Simonjan framed the move as part of a 'media war' by Germany against Russia, hoping for reciprocal closures of German media in Russia, though no direct state action from Germany was tied to YouTube's decision. RT has admitted involvement in an 'information war' against the West, with executives describing the global battle over information as akin to a world war. The German intelligence agency considers RT Deutsch and its affiliates as tools of Russian influence to sway public opinion in Germany. RT has also aggressively litigated critics in Europe. The broadcaster propagated misleading Covid-19 narratives during the pandemic, which were widely shared among conspiracy groups in Germany. RT Deutsch has never been publicly reprimanded by Germany's press council, partly because it never subjected itself to its oversight.",
  "actor_primary": "RT Deutsch",
  "target_primary": null,
  "location_text": "Germany",
  "location_region": null,
  "location_coordinates_lat": 51.1657,
  "location_coordinates_lon": 10.4515,
  "location_precision": "Regional",
  "is_aggressor_signal": true,
  "signal_type": "HYBRID_SIGNAL",
  "is_hybrid_war_signal": true,
  "classification_complete": true,
  "hybrid_signal_complete": true,
  "classification_confidence": "High",
  "classification_rationale": "The article clearly details Russian state media (RT Deutsch) spreading disinformation and conducting information warfare via YouTube channels, which were removed due to policy violations, constituting a hostile hybrid signal.",
  "event_time_utc": "2021-09-28T00:00:00.000Z",
  "end_time_utc": null,
  "event_time_confidence": "pm24h",
  "created_at": "2026-04-28T14:21:00.052Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-04T08:35:32.139Z",
  "reliability_band": "strong",
  "location_precision_band": "regional",
  "time_precision_band": "within_24h",
  "severity_band": "moderate",
  "attribution_confidence_band": "high",
  "attribution_basis": "single_source"
}