DAMASCUS, SYRIA / SAN BRUNO, CALIFORNIA — Syrian government-linked YouTube channels been removed following a TomoNews report about ads displaying on them.

Yesterday a TomoNews investigation showed how Syrian government-linked YouTube channels were displaying advertisements from massive brands.

Those channels were YouTube / PresidencySy and ORTAS Videos, a channel for the General Organisation of Radio and TV for Syria. Syrian government websites linked to both.

U.S. sanctions prohibit American companies from providing services to Syria without obtaining a license from the Treasury Department. ORTAS is specifically listed on the U.S. Treasury Department's list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons.

Not long after TomoNews contacted YouTube and the U.S. government for comment,
and shortly after we published our video, those channels appeared with the text: "This account has been terminated due to a legal complaint." For the record, TomoNews did not file a legal complaint. We just reported on the story.

Another ORTAS-linked YouTube channel that was linking to live streaming channels has also been removed, with YouTube citing community guideline violations.
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