Google Disables AdSense Accounts in Russia, Act of Revenge?

Illustration of Google Chrome on iPhone(OSXDaily)

HOLIDAY NEWS - Alphabet, the umbrella company for Google as well as YouTube, decided to disable AdSense accounts in Russia. This means that Google accounts that use Google's AdSense services, including YouTube, cannot make money from this advertising service.

As is known, AdSense is an advertising service from Google, part of the Google Ads program. This service is usually used by website and YouTube channel owners to reap profits from advertisements placed on their websites or YouTube videos.

So, with AdSense deactivated in Russia, website owners and YouTubers are threatened with not being able to "get paid" or withdraw income from advertisements installed in their content.

"Due to ongoing developments in Russia, we will no longer be able to make payments to AdSense accounts based in Russia, which can still continue to monetize traffic from outside Russia," explained a Google spokesperson.

"Therefore, we will deactivate these accounts starting August 2024," he added, as summarized by KompasTekno from Reuters, Wednesday (14/8/2024).

Based on a Reuters report, several AdSense accounts that still had income in July received notification that payment disbursement would be made in mid-August. "Your earnings in July will be disbursed around August 21-26, assuming you do not have an active payment deferral, and have met the minimum payment threshold," the notification states.

An act of revenge?

Google did not further explain what they meant by "ongoing development" in their statement.

However, Alphabet's decision is thought to be an act of "revenge" for the Russian government's recent speed restrictions on YouTube. At the end of July, the head of Russia's information policy committee, Alexander Khinshtein, announced restrictions on YouTube download speeds in his country.

As of the end of July, YouTube download speeds will be throttled by around 40 percent on YouTube PC/computer. Then at the end of the following week, or around the beginning of August, YouTube download speeds will be reduced again by 70 percent.

According to a Yahoo News report, this was done to punish the company for being "anti-Russian", referring to the removal of accounts belonging to Russian bloggers and YouTube media that reproduced the Kremlin's (as the Russian government is known) messages about its war on Ukraine.

Before launching its invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, Russia began to limit the country's access to media from abroad.

Several social media platforms began to be restricted, including X (formerly Twitter) and thousands of other websites deemed to be "objectionable organizations."

Well, YouTube is actually one of the survivors of access restrictions. The reason is, there was no clear alternative at that time. In fact, according to monitoring service Mediascope, about half of Russia's population uses YouTube every month.

Google Nonaktifkan Akun AdSense di Rusia, Aksi Balas Dendam?

Ilustrasi Google Chrome di iPhone(OSXDaily)

HOLIDAY NEWS - Alphabet, perusahaan yang memayungi Google serta YouTube, memutuskan untuk menonaktifkan akun AdSense di Rusia. Artinya, akun Google yang memanfaatkan layanan AdSense milik Google, termasuk YouTube, tidak bisa meraup cuan dari layanan iklan ini.

Seperti diketahui, AdSense adalah layanan iklan dari Google, bagian dari program Google Ads. Layanan ini biasa dimanfaatkan pemilik situs web dan kanal YouTube untuk meraup keuntungan dari iklan yang terpasang di website atau video YouTube mereka.

Nah, dengan dinonaktifkannya AdSense di Rusia, pemilik website dan Youtuber, terancam tidak bisa "gajian" alias menarik pendapatan dari iklan yang terpasang di konten mereka.

"Karena perkembangan yang sedang berlangsung di Rusia, kami tidak akan lagi bisa melakukan pembayaran ke akun AdSense yang berbasis di Rusia, yang masih bisa terus memonetisasi trafik dari luar Rusia," jelas juru bicara Google.

"Oleh karena itu, kami akan menonaktifkan akun-akun ini mulai Agustus 2024," imbuhnya, sebagaimana dirangkum KompasTekno dari Reuters, Rabu (14/8/2024).

Berdasarkan laporan Reuters, beberapa akun AdSense yang masih memiliki pendapatan di bulan Juli, mendapat notifikasi, bahwa pencairan pembayaran akan dilakukan pertengahan Agustus.

"Penghasilan Anda di bulan Juli akan dicairkan sekitar tanggal 21-26 Agustus, dengan asumsi, Anda tidak memiliki penangguhan pembayaran aktif, serta telah memenuhi ambang batas pembayaran minimum," isi pennggalan notifikasi tersebut.

Aksi balas dendam?

Google tidak menjelaskan lebih lanjut apa yang mereka maksud dengan "perkembangan yang sedang berlangsung" dalam pernyataan mereka.

Akan tetapi, keputuan Alphabet ini diduga merupakan aksi "balas dendam" atas pembatasan kecepatan YouTube oleh pemerintah Rusia baru-baru ini.

Akhir Juli lalu, Kepala komite kebijakan informasi Rusia, Alexander Khinshtein, mengumumkan pembatasan kecepatan unduh YouTube di negaranya.

Per akhir Juli, kecepatan unduh YouTube akan "dicekik" sekitar 40 persen di YouTube PC/komputer. Kemudian pada akhir minggu berikutnya, atau sekitar awal Agustus, kecepatan unduh YouTube akan diturunkan lagi hingga 70 persen.

Menurut laporan Yahoo News, hal ini dilakukan untuk menghukum perusahaan karena bersikap "anti-Rusia", merujuk pada penghapusan akun milik blogger Rusia dan media YouTube yang mereproduksi pesan Kremlin (sebutan pemerintah Rusia) tentang perangnya terhadap Ukraina.

Sebelum melancarkan invasi ke Ukraina awal tahun 2022 lalu, Rusia memang mulai membatasi akses negara tersebut ke media dari luar negeri.

Beberapa platform media sosial mulai dibatas, termasuk X (dulu Twitter) dan ribuan situs web lain yang dianggap sebagai "organisasi tidak menyenangkan".

Nah, YouTube, sebenarnya salah satu penyintas pembatasan akses itu. Musababnya, tidak ada alternatif yang jelas pada saat itu. Padahal, menurut layanan pemantauan Mediascope, sekitar setengah dari penduduk Rusia menggunakan YouTube setiap bulan.