On September 5, 2024, YouTube confirmed it had terminated five channels: Tenet Media’s channel and four channels operated by Lauren Chen. The move followed a day after federal prosecutors charged two employees of Russian state-controlled broadcaster RT with allegedly covertly funding and directing a U.S. media company. The indictment did not name Tenet Media; news organizations identified it by matching details in the filing to public information about the company.
What YouTube removed
The confirmed total was five YouTube channels: one belonging to Tenet Media and four operated by Chen. The reported statement did not provide the public names of all four Chen-operated channels, so there is no reliable basis here for listing them individually. Nor does the five-channel count mean YouTube removed every account associated with Tenet’s contributors or every related account on other platforms.
YouTube said the terminations followed the Department of Justice indictment and the platform’s own “careful review” as part of its work to combat coordinated influence operations. Its reported statement did not identify particular videos or name a specific Community Guidelines rule behind the decision. Engadget reported YouTube’s statement, and Reuters reported the removals.
What the DOJ alleged
On September 4, 2024, prosecutors in the Southern District of New York announced charges against RT employees Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva. They were charged with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The charges were allegations, not findings after trial. The DOJ announcement and indictment describe the government’s case.
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Prosecutors alleged that the RT employees used shell companies and false identities to conceal the source and direction of nearly $10 million in funding for a Tennessee-based online media company. According to the indictment, the company published English-language videos across YouTube and other services, including TikTok, Instagram and X. Prosecutors said the operation sought to promote narratives favorable to Russian interests and intensify divisions among U.S. audiences, including during the 2024 election season. The filing alleges intent; it does not establish that the operation changed votes or determined an election outcome.
Why the company was identified as Tenet Media
The indictment called the unnamed business “U.S. Company-1,” not Tenet Media. Tenet was widely identified as the company described in the filing after reporters and researchers compared its Tennessee location, business structure, personnel and public descriptions with the details prosecutors provided. PolitiFact explains the identification; the Washington Post reported on the channel removals.
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That distinction matters: the DOJ’s September 4 indictment did not formally name Tenet Media. The connection is a reported identification based on matching public facts, not a direct naming of the company in that charging document.
Who was connected to Tenet, and who was charged
Lauren Chen and her husband, Liam Donovan, were publicly described as Tenet Media’s founders or owners. YouTube’s reported description of the other four removals referred to channels operated by Chen. Chen was also known online as Roaming Millennial and had worked with RT; those facts alone do not establish what she knew about the alleged funding or whether she committed a crime. The Washington Post’s background report and TIME’s coverage of contributors’ responses describe the public reporting and reactions.
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Tenet featured or worked with commentators including Tim Pool, Benny Johnson, Dave Rubin, Lauren Southern, Tayler Hansen and Matt Christiansen. The September 4 charges were against Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva, the two RT employees—not a blanket set of charges against Tenet’s on-air contributors. Several contributors said they did not know about the alleged Russian backing or described themselves as victims. The available reporting does not establish that every contributor knew the alleged source of the money or knowingly took part in a scheme.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why YouTube’s action is separate from the criminal case
YouTube described a platform enforcement decision made after its own review, following the indictment. The cited reporting does not establish that the DOJ ordered YouTube to remove the channels. The criminal case and the platform decision involve different standards and processes: a channel termination is not a criminal conviction, and an indictment is not proof of guilt.
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YouTube’s general channel termination policy says creators may appeal a termination and bars them from creating, possessing or using other channels to circumvent it. YouTube’s reported statement about these particular removals did not specify the video-level conduct it relied on or disclose an individual appeal outcome. Removing the five channels also did not, by itself, shut down contributors’ work on other platforms, podcasts or personal sites.
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What is established—and what remains unclear
- Established: YouTube confirmed five channel terminations on or around September 5, 2024: Tenet Media and four channels it said Chen operated.
- Established: The DOJ announced charges on September 4, 2024, against two RT employees, alleging a covert funding and direction scheme involving nearly $10 million.
- Important qualification: The indictment used “U.S. Company-1”; Tenet Media was identified by matching the filing’s description with public information.
- Not specified in the reported YouTube statement: the four Chen-operated channels’ public names, the specific videos or rule violations prompting termination, and any case-specific appeal result.
- Not established as a blanket claim: that every Tenet contributor knew about the alleged Russian funding, was charged, or knowingly participated.
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