fullscreen

eFinder

eFinder

Home › Digital Censorship › Article

Belarus joins Russia’s war on freedom of information

EuroNews · 🇫🇷 public France · · 857 words
Digital Censorship Authoritarianism Press Freedom
headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing
Generate a natural audio summary of this story
Daily briefing

What to know about Digital Censorship

Belarus’ obscure decision to ban Euronews’ website on its territory follows Russia’s blocking of all Euronews content, as both nations continue to clamp down on the media.

Claims checked 15
Techniques found 2
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center83%
Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Belarus’ obscure decision to ban Euronews’ website on its territory follows Russia’s blocking of all Euronews content, as both nations continue to clamp down on the media.

Why it matters

Belarus' decision to ban the Euronews website by designating it as “extremist” and adding it to its “Republican List of Extremist Materials” marks a new escalation by authorities in Minsk in their crackdown on independent media and free speech.

Common ground

The Belarus Ministry of Information’s move, reported by Belarus-based media, resulted in the immediate restriction of access to Euronews’ digital platforms in the country’s territory, as shown by Euronews’ real-time traffic-monitoring systems.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Transfer: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/08/belarus-joins-russias-war-on-freed…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Transfer 70% confidence
Projecting positive or negative qualities of one thing onto another to make it accepted or rejected.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing transfer helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 15 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6
schedule Pending 5
info Single Source 3
help Insufficient Evidence 1
check_circle
Claim 1: “Belarus' decision to ban the Euronews website by designating it as “extremist” and adding it to its “Republican List of Extremist Materials””
CORROBORATED
Multiple cross-references and reports confirm that the Ministry of Information of Belarus designated Euronews as 'extremist' and added it to the 'Republican List of Extremist Materials'.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus (Belarusian: Аб’яднаны пераходны кабінет Беларусі, romanized: Abjadnany pierachodny kabiniet Biełarusi) is a government in exile for Belarus that was formed …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Transitional_Cabinet_of…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Censorship in Belarus, although prohibited by the country's constitution, is enforced by a number of laws. These include a law that makes insulting the president punishable by up to five years in pris…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_Belarus
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — In Russia, internet censorship is enforced on the basis of several laws and through several mechanisms. Since 2008, Russia has maintained a centralized internet blacklist (known as the "single registe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_Russia
+ 2 more evidence sources
check_circle
Claim 2: “The Belarus government's official argument then was that Euronews’ broadcasting license had expired and that the channel was publishing adverts in English rather than translating them into Russian or Belarusian”
CORROBORATED
The justification regarding the expired license and the failure to translate advertisements into Russian or Belarusian is reported by both the European Federation of Journalists and Yahoo News Canada.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — In August 2021, the government of Belarus began sponsoring an influx of migrants, mostly from the Middle East and North Africa, to the borders of Lithuania, Poland and Latvia. Although Belarus denied …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarus–European_Union_border_…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Euronews is a pan-European television news network, headquartered in Lyon, France. It is a provider of livestreamed news, which can be viewed in Europe and North Africa via satellite, and in most of t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euronews
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — In March and April 2021, before the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Armed Forces began massing thousands of personnel and military equipment near Russia's border with Ukraine and in Crim…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prelude_to_the_2022_Russian_in…
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 3: “On the same day that Belarus took the decision to ban Euronews’ digital platforms, the Kremlin blocked dozens of VPN services used by Russians”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 4: “since the beginning of 2026 the Kremlin moved to fully block Telegram and WhatsApp everywhere across the country”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 5: “The Belarus Ministry of Information’s move... resulted in the immediate restriction of access to Euronews’ digital platforms in the country’s territory”
CORROBORATED
Both a Euronews article and a separate report on the 'Belarus ban of Euronews' confirm that the Ministry of Information's action resulted in the restriction of access to digital platforms.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarus
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Belarus has an upper-middle income mixed economy. As a post-Soviet transition economy, the nation rejected most privatisation efforts in favour of retaining centralised political and economic controls…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Belarus
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Euronews is a pan-European television news network, headquartered in Lyon, France. It is a provider of livestreamed news, which can be viewed in Europe and North Africa via satellite, and in most of t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euronews
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 6: “The decision to stop broadcasting Euronews was taken by Russia’s audio-visual regulator Roskomnadzor following a request from the Prosecutor General’s Office”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific detail that Roskomnadzor acted following a request from the Prosecutor General's Office is mentioned in the Euronews article but not corroborated by other provided sources.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Euronews is a French pan-European television news network, headquartered in Lyon, France. It is a provider of livestreamed news, which can be viewed in Europe and North Africa via satellite, and in mo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euronews
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The decision to stop broadcasting Euronews was taken by Russia’s audio-visual regulator Roskomnadzor following a request from the Prosecutor General’s Office.
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/08/belarus-joins-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and prosecutor’s offices demanded the removal of “extremist materials” from media outlets. Crimean Tatar TV channel ATR received two warnings about the “viol…
https://www.stopfake.org/en/fear-peninsula-how-russia-closed…
schedule
Claim 7: “The Iranian regime... bluntly blocking all internet access across Iran when it cracked down on the massive anti-regime protests in January 2026”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 8: “Belarus’ obscure decision to ban Euronews’ website on its territory follows Russia’s blocking of all Euronews content”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is explicitly stated in a Euronews article, but other provided sources do not independently corroborate the causal link or the specific sequence of events between the Russian and Belarusian bans.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 16 November 2025, a railroad linking Warsaw and Lublin was damaged by an explosion that destroyed the rail track near the station of Mika, 100 km southeast of Warsaw. The undercarriage of a freight…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Russian_railway_sabotage_…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — In August 2021, the government of Belarus began sponsoring an influx of migrants, mostly from the Middle East and North Africa, to the borders of Lithuania, Poland and Latvia. Although Belarus denied …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarus–European_Union_border_…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Euronews is a pan-European television news network, headquartered in Lyon, France. It is a provider of livestreamed news, which can be viewed in Europe and North Africa via satellite, and in most of t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euronews
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 9: “In August 2025, Russian authorities announced they were “partially” restricting calls through Telegram and WhatsApp messaging applications”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 10: “Moscow decided to ban Euronews’ television and digital platforms across Russia in March 2022”
CORROBORATED
The ban of Euronews' platforms in Russia in March 2022 is reported by Yahoo News Canada and another source discussing the blocking of Facebook and Instagram.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Euronews is a French pan-European television news network, headquartered in Lyon, France.In 2001, the All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK) acquired a 1.8% stake in SOCEMI…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euronews
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The ban on Euronews follows Moscow’s blocking of the Facebook and Instagram platforms on Monday following a Russian court decision that has declared them “extremist” organizations.
https://geekybar.com/news/russia-blocked-the-pages-of-the-eu…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Euronews had built a significant audience in Belarus and in Russia over the years, its digital traffic data shows. However, Moscow decided to ban Euronews' television and digital platforms across Russ…
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/belarus-joins-russia-war-freedom-1…
check_circle
Claim 11: “The Ministry of Information had already banned Euronews’ television broadcasts in April 2021”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources, including a specific news report from April 12, 2021, and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), confirm the ban on television broadcasts in April 2021.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarus
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Belarus has an upper-middle income mixed economy. As a post-Soviet transition economy, the nation rejected most privatisation efforts in favour of retaining centralised political and economic controls…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Belarus
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Euronews is a pan-European television news network, headquartered in Lyon, France. It is a provider of livestreamed news, which can be viewed in Europe and North Africa via satellite, and in most of t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euronews
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 12: “In July 2025, Russia imposed a new legislation criminalising "searching for extremist content online"”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 13: “Russian authorities continued to criminalise the dissemination of what it called information “discrediting” the Russian army and threatened journalists with up to 15 years in prison”
CORROBORATED
Wikipedia confirms the 'discrediting' laws and fines/prison terms, and Human Rights Watch (via ReliefWeb) explicitly confirms penalties of up to 15 years in prison for independent war reporting.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A "discrediting" of the armed forces, including calls that their use was not in the interests of the Russian Federation, carried large fines for natural and juridicial persons (article 20.3.3) and up …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_2022_war_censorship_la…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — (Berlin) – Russia has enacted two laws, adopted and brought into force on March 4, that criminalize independent war reporting and protesting the war, with penalties of up to 15 years in prison, Human …
https://reliefweb.int/report/russian-federation/russia-crimi…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — (Berlin) – Russia has enacted two laws, adopted and brought into force on March 4, that criminalize independent war reporting and protesting the war, with penalties of up to 15 years in prison, Human …
https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/03/07/russia-criminalizes-inde…
info
Claim 14: “the decision [to ban Euronews' digital platforms] was reportedly taken on 4 August”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the ban is confirmed, the specific date of '4 August' is not corroborated by any other independent source in the provided evidence.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Euronews is a European television news channel. It is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. The channel broadcasts in 18 languages. 97.6% of the channel is owned by Alpac Capital, a company which belong…
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euronews
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Belarus’ obscure decision to ban Euronews’ website on its territory follows Russia’s blocking of all Euronews content, as both nations continue to clamp down on the media.
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/08/belarus-joins-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A decision by Belarus earlier this week to place Euronews on its list of "extremist" media and ban access to the channel has sparked a wave of support for the media organisation across the continent.
https://www.aol.co.uk/articles/belarus-ban-euronews-sparks-d…
help
Claim 15: “Euronews revealed that multiple fake news videos were being posted on Russian social media copying the publication's journalistic and visual style”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results to support or refute the claim about fake news videos mimicking Euronews.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.