‘I terminated this channel’: Inside the Fake Copyright Racket Silencing News Outlets

Independent outlets including OCCRP member Monitori and Radio Azattyq were targeted by bogus copyright infringement claims that led to takedowns on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram; reporters engaged with an alleged for‑hire operator who described charging thousands to remove channels and smaller fees to withdraw complaints. Platforms restored the accounts after contests, and experts warn that opaque, low-effort misuse of copyright reporting is an effective, under‑detected tactic to censor journalists and civil society.