YouTube, Google Play suspend payment-based services in Russia

Alphabet Inc's YouTube and Google Play store are suspending all payment-based services in Russia, including subscriptions, as Western sanctions start to pose banking challenges in the country.

Google will also pause ads for advertisers based in Russia across its properties and networks globally, the company said. This is in addition to the company's recent suspension of ads in Russia.

Google and YouTube had earlier stopped selling online advertising in Russia following similar pauses by Twitter Inc and Snap Inc after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. 

"As a follow-up, we're now extending this pause to all our monetization features, including YouTube Premium, Channel Memberships, Super Chat and Merchandise, for viewers in Russia," YouTube said in a statement on Thursday.

YouTube channels in Russia will still be able to generate revenue from viewers outside of Russia, which include Super Chat and merchandise sales. Free apps on Google Play also remain available in Russia, according to a company support website.

-reuters-

UK wants to cut Russia off from SWIFT: defense minister

LONDON - Britain would like to cut off Russia from the SWIFT global interbank payments system and will continue to lobby reluctant allies to take that step, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said on Friday.

"We would like to go further, we'd like to do the SWIFT system - that is the financial system that allows the Russians to move money around the world to receive payments for its gas - but ... these are international organizations and if not every country wants them to be thrown out of the SWIFT system, it becomes difficult," Wallace told BBC TV.

US President Joe Biden said on Thursday that United States and the European Union have opted not to cut Russia off from SWIFT, but he said they could revisit that issue.

On Thursday, major western countries including the United States and Britain announced sanctions on Russia, stretching from its banks to elites, in response to Russia invading Ukraine after months of diplomatic dialogue failed to bear fruit.

Wallace said Britain would continue to lobby its allies to win support for a move on SWIFT.

"We will work all the magic, do everything we can in diplomacy," he said.

-reuters-