23K+ YouTube Channels Deleted for Policy Violations
Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) has released its latest report detailing coordinated influence operations it detected and disrupted during the first quarter of 2025. The report highlights the removal of 23,267 YouTube channels involved in deceptive activity.
As part of its quarterly TAG Bulletin, Google continues to inform the public about malicious actors exploiting its platforms — including YouTube, Google News, Blogger, and Google Ads — to spread narratives around global conflicts, elections, and regional tensions.
Of the removed YouTube channels, around 15,800 were linked to China , with smaller numbers connected to Azerbaijan, Russia, Germany, Nigeria, Romania, and other countries. January saw the highest number of removals at over 14,600, followed by more than 4,000 each in February and March.
In addition to channel removals, TAG blocked several domains from appearing on Google News and Discover feeds, including 21 sites tied to a U.S.-based consulting firm. The group also suspended multiple ad accounts and blogs, and collaborated with Meta to investigate campaigns linked to China and Israel.
These efforts are part of Google’s broader strategy to combat misinformation and online scams. Recently, the company enhanced Chrome’s protection mode using Gemini Nano and improved Android’s AI-based scam detection features.
