YouTube has removed an account publishing videos of hoax calls with UK Cabinet ministers who became the targets of impostors reportedly linked to the Kremlin.
The video sharing company blocked the account on Friday as part of its investigation into “influence operations linked to Russia” after days of pressure to block the clips.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Home Secretary Priti Patel both featured in videos that have been trickling out on the Vovan222prank channel since Monday.
The pair thought they were talking to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, but were in fact speaking to an impostor in what officials believe is a Russian disinformation campaign.
The Google-owned firm did not find that the videos breached its “community guidelines”, but removed it following an investigation into whether it was running an influence campaign.
A YouTube spokesman sad: “We have terminated the YouTube channel Vovan222prank as part of our ongoing investigation into co-ordinated influence operations linked to Russia.”
The delay in removing the videos had enraged some in the Ministry of Defence, which published a letter to YouTube calling for it to delete the “Russian propaganda”.
On Wednesday, a defence source went as far as saying: “YouTube is in danger of aiding and abetting the Russian state propaganda machine, putting people at risk.”
Downing Street accused Russian President Vladimir Putin’s country of being behind the phoney calls from self-styled pranksters “Vovan and Lexus”.
It was thought the campaign was designed to embarrass ministers and sow division between allies supporting Ukraine during the Russian invasion.
