In a sweeping move during the second quarter of 2025, Google’s Threat Analysis Group has removed nearly 11,000 YouTube channels identified as part of coordinated influence operations. More than 7,700 of these were tied to China, while over 2,000 were linked to Russia, reflecting escalating efforts to combat state-driven propaganda on the platform.

The Chinese-origin channels primarily disseminated content in both Chinese and English, promoting government narratives, President Xi Jinping, and perspectives on U.S. foreign policy. Similarly, Russian-linked channels disseminated multilingual content favorable to Kremlin viewpoints, often critical of Ukraine, NATO, and Western governments.

Beyond China and Russia, Google also targeted influence campaigns from Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, Israel, Romania, and Ghana. These operations often centred on regional conflicts, political polarisation, or election-related messaging. Google has now removed well over 30,000 such channels in 2025, combining clean-up efforts from both Q1 and Q2.

TAG emphasises that these channels formed part of “coordinated inauthentic networks,” often operating bots and orchestrated content feeds rather than genuine grassroots users. This year’s volume marks a significant 45% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

YouTube states this purge is part of its standard quarterly transparency reports, driven by sophisticated detection systems and human review. TAG also dismantled associated AdSense accounts, Blogger blogs, and restricted related domains from Google News and Discover features.

The company’s determination to stop disinformation reflects growing awareness of online manipulation tactics. With YouTube becoming a primary news source for many, countering propaganda has become critical to maintaining the platform’s integrity and user trust.

As global narratives shift, YouTube’s aggressive moderation and transparency offer a model for other platforms struggling with coordinated influence efforts. Still, the scale of the purge highlights the persistent challenge posed by state-sponsored misinformation—and signals that TAG’s vigilance remains essential in safeguarding digital information ecosystems.