Published 05:14 IST, August 7th 2020
Google deletes 2,500 China-linked YouTube channels for spreading misinformation
Google has informed that it has deleted over 2,500 YouTube channels linked to China in an effort to wipe out misinformation on the video-sharing platform.
- Tech
- 2 min read
Google has informed that it has deleted over 2,500 YouTube channels linked to China in an effort to wipe out misinformation on the video-sharing platform.
According to the reports, the tech giant said that the channels were removed in the period between April and June as part of its ongoing investigation into "coordinated influence operations linked to China." The company, in its quarterly bulletin, said that most of the purged out channels usually uploaded "spammy, non-political content"
US-China spur
According to the reports, the US-based tech giant did not name the channels. The move comes amid the growing tensions between United States and China over a range of issues ahead of the US Presidential Election. On Wednesday, the White House is reported to have said that US administration is worried about the "untrusted" Chinese applications like TikTok and messenger app WeChat and said these apps pose “significant threats.”
On the other hand, TikTok faces heat worldwide because of its Chinese links and issues identified with information security. Earlier, Trump set a September 15 deadline for the Chinese application to wrap up its business in the United States if it doesn't have an American buyer.
US bans TikTok on Government devices
In other news, US Senate unanimously passed a bill banning the use of Chinese-owned video application TikTok on government devices on Thursday. The bill will now go to President Donald Trump to be signed into law.
The bill will restrict federal employees from using the Chinese-owned app on government-issued devices. In a series of tweets, Senator Josh Hawley thanked Senator Rick Scott, who is the ‘first and original’ cosponsor on the legislation, for his leadership and for joining him to see the bill adopted. The US Senator had introduced the bill first earlier this year in March.
Updated 05:14 IST, August 7th 2020
