Eighty-four YouTube channels linked to individuals and entities sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control displayed monetized advertisements, according to research by the Tech Transparency Project. These channels showcased in-feed ads, in-stream ads, and YouTube Shorts ads. Advertisers on these channels included Subaru, Verizon, TurboTax, Ozempic, KFC, BJ's Wholesale Club, and a Warner Bros. film.
An advertisement for U.S. Customs and Border Protection was observed on a video produced by Iran's Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts. Tech Transparency Project researchers stated: "That means YouTube placed an ad paid for with U.S. tax dollars on a channel for an Iranian government ministry." Kian Meshkat, a sanctions attorney, stated: "The numerous holders of all these YouTube channels include Iranian individuals and entities that aren't just subject to the comprehensive U.S. embargo on Iran, but sanctioned by OFAC under a variety of its sanctions programs, including counterterrorism, nonproliferation, human rights abuses, or those specific to the Iranian government more generally."
The research identified sanctioned individuals operating channels, including Babak Zanjani, Ali Akbar Velayati, and Naji Sharifi Zindashti. Babak Zanjani is subject to sanctions for assisting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with sanctions evasion. Ali Akbar Velayati serves as an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, and Naji Sharifi Zindashti is accused of targeting Iranian dissidents abroad for assassination. Al-Mustafa International University, sanctioned in 2020 for recruiting foreign intelligence sources, operates at least four YouTube channels, including English and French versions. Iran's Counterterrorism Special Forces unit and the Fars News Agency also operate YouTube channels displaying advertisements.
The Iranian government banned YouTube in 2012. OFAC regulations prohibit U.S. nationals and companies from contributing services to blocked persons. In 2022, the U.S. government issued a sanctions exemption allowing technology companies to provide platform access in Iran, but it prohibits financial transactions with the Iranian government. Meshkat stated: "It is difficult to discern how, without separate OFAC authorization, some of these parties provided with a channel are enabled to market or advertise themselves with their own promotional videos. The exemption has typically excluded from its scope the provision of marketing services to sanctioned parties." YouTube began concealing revenue-sharing information for channels in 2023. In 2024, YouTube shut down a channel associated with Iran's foreign ministry and issued a statement indicating state-owned Iranian channels are not permitted on the platform due to U.S. sanctions. Google publisher policies state that advertising tools may not be used for or on behalf of parties located in Iran, and Google does not allow advertisers to opt out of displaying ads on the identified channels. A U.S. Treasury spokesperson stated: "Technology companies should be aware of U.S. sanctions and understand their compliance risks and conduct due diligence to prevent violations."