London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Apr 10, 2026

Back to 1938: YouTube Blocks RT DE German Broadcast Channel on Day of Its Launch

Back to 1938: YouTube Blocks RT DE German Broadcast Channel on Day of Its Launch

The Russian news outlet RT launched a 24-hour news service known as 'RT DE' in German that will broadcast live news, just as UK has its own BBC Handel, Qatar has its own Al Jazeera channel, France, Germany and The US. Germany probably didn’t like the idea that people in Germany will be exposed to another point of view, and Google censored the channel without any valid reason.
RT indeed has an agenda, just as DW, the BBC, CNN and Fox News has. But as long as the agenda is to enrich citizens with diverse point of views, to expose the other side of the true and not to promote fake facts, the human rights of every German citizen is to be able to be exposed to diversified news sources and form their own independent opinion, free from the only channels that Germany allow to brain wash their citizens.

Although the EU was never a democracy and doesn’t pretend to be a democracy, they try to develop a relatively liberal framework. So it’s disappointed that Germany is going back to its dark past of censorship and brain wash, instead of continue to move forward or at list to remain the half democracy half bureaucracy state.

We do not claim that RT should be trusted 100%, as RT, just like the BBC, NYT and DW, amplifying the news from their point of view. We do believe that in 2021 people must be exposed to many news channels and never rely on one source or one side of the news coverage spectrum.

Earlier in the day, RT launched a 24-hour news service known as 'RT DE' in German that will broadcast live news, talk shows and documentaries from the network's studios in Moscow and Berlin.

YouTube has blocked new channel RT DE on the same day when TV broadcasting was launched, RT said on Thursday.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova took a swipe at YouTube on Thursday over the blockage of the newly-launched RT DE channel in German, quipping that Moscow did not expect anything better from the online video platform.

"While I was giving an interview to RT DE, YouTube blocked their new channel. And all this on the day when broadcasting was launched.

And we did not expect anything else. As the saying goes, everyone congratulates on the premiere as best they can: somebody with flowers and good wishes, and somebody with crushed glass planted into shoes," Zakharova said in her Telegram channel.

The launch of RT DE has been surrounded by controversy in the European Union, with German media and politicians accusing the broadcaster of manipulations with facts targeting Germans of Russian origin.

In August, RT DE was officially denied a broadcasting license by Luxembourg, which cited "information and analysis by the German authorities".

In September, YouTube removed two RT DE channels without the right to recover, for alleged "violations of community rules". At the same time, RT DE was in fourth place in terms of influence among the German-language media, bypassing Deutsche Welle and other German media, according to Tubular Labs.

RT in German was launched in 2014 online and on social media.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Foreign Secretary Highlights Impact of Intensified Strikes in Lebanon
UK Urges Inclusion of Lebanon in US-Iran Ceasefire Framework
UK Stocks Ease as Ceasefire Doubts in Middle East Weigh on Investor Confidence
UK Reassesses Cloud Strategy Amid Criticism Over Limited Support Measures
UK Calls for Full and Toll-Free Access Through Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Tensions
Starmer Signals Strategic Shift for Britain Amid Escalating Iran-Linked Tensions
UK Issues Firm Warning to Russia Over Covert Underwater Military Activity
OpenAI Halts Stargate UK Project, Casting Uncertainty Over Britain’s AI Expansion Plans
Starmer Voices Frustration Over Global Pressures Driving UK Energy Costs Higher
UK Deploys Military Assets to Protect Undersea Cables From Suspected Russian Threat
Canada Aligns With US, UK and Australia as Europe Prepares Major Digital Border Overhaul
Meghan Markle’s Planned Australia Appearance Sparks Fresh Speculation
Starmer Warns Sustained Effort Needed to Ensure US–Iran Ceasefire Holds
UK to Partner with Shipping Industry to Rebuild Confidence in Strait of Hormuz, Cooper Says
UK Interest Rate Expectations Ease Following US–Iran Ceasefire Agreement
Starmer Signals Major Effort Needed to Fully Reopen Strait of Hormuz During Gulf Visit
UK Fuel Prices Face Ongoing Volatility Amid Global Pressures and Domestic Factors
Kanye West’s Planned Italy Festival Appearance Draws Debate After UK Entry Ban
Smuggling Routes Shift Toward Belgium as Migrant Crossings to UK Evolve
Ceasefire Offers Potential Relief for UK Fuel and Food Prices Amid Ongoing Uncertainty
Iran Conflict Raises Questions Over UK’s Global Influence and Military Preparedness
Senator McConnell Visits Kentucky to Highlight Federal Investment in Local Projects
Kanye West Barred from Entering UK as Legal Grounds Come into Focus
UK Denies Visa to Kanye West After Sponsors Withdraw from Wireless Festival
Trump-Era Forest Service Restructuring Leads to Closure of UK Lab Focused on Kentucky Woodland Health
Foreign Students in the UK Describe Harsh Living Conditions and Financial Pressures
Reform UK Proposes Visa Restrictions on Nations Pursuing Reparations Claims
Public Reaction Divides Over UK Decision to Bar Kanye West
Calls Grow for UK to Review US Base Access Following Concerns Over Escalating Rhetoric
UK Indicates It Will Not Permit Use of Its Bases for Potential US Strikes on Iran’s Energy Infrastructure
UK Prime Minister Defends Decision to Bar Kanye West, Questions Festival Booking
UK Accelerates Efforts to Harmonise Medical Technology Rules with United States
Wireless Festival Cancelled After Kanye West Denied Entry to the United Kingdom
Australia’s most decorated living soldier was arrested at Sydney Airport and charged with five counts of war-crime murder for the killing of unarmed Afghan civilians
The CIA’s Secret Technology That Can Find You by Your Heartbeat Successfully Locates Downed Airman
Operation Europe: Trump Deploys Vance to Hungary to Save the EU
King Charles Faces Criticism From Some UK Christians Over Absence of Easter Message
Former UK Defence Secretary Raises Concerns Over Ability to Counter Iran Missile Threat
UK Signals Non-Involvement in Iran Conflict as Trump Reasserts Firm Deterrence Stance
US and UK Strengthen Medical Device Cooperation Following Tariff Removal
Trump Backs Steve Hilton for California Governor, Highlighting Reform Agenda
UK Seeks Closer Ties With Anthropic as AI Policy Divergence Emerges Across Atlantic
Experts Warn of Evolving Extremism After Teens Arrested in UK Ambulance Arson Case
UK Convenes Talks to Safeguard Shipping Through Strait of Hormuz After Conflict Escalation
Trump Highlights Strong Leadership in Critique of UK Stance on Iran
UK Authorities Review Kanye West’s Entry Status Following Festival Backlash
UK Considers Deploying Aircraft Carrier for US Independence Day Celebrations Amid Renewed Transatlantic Focus
United Kingdom Moves to Attract AI Firm Anthropic Amid Tensions with US Defense Officials
RAF Intercepts Iranian Drones in Middle East to Defend Allied Security Interests
Labour Signals Shift on Foie Gras and Fur Restrictions to Advance EU Trade Talks
×