YouTube Hosts Monetized Channels Tied to Sanctioned Iranian Entities

Research released exclusively to WIRED by the nonprofit Tech Transparency Project identified over 75 YouTube channels operated by entities sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The channels include accounts tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts. OFAC rules bar sanctioned parties from receiving U.S.-sourced revenue, yet the study shows these channels are monetized, allowing YouTube ads to generate revenue for their owners.

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The investigation documented ads from U.S. brands—including Subaru, Verizon, TurboTax, Ozempic, and KFC—on the identified channels. One video from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts featured an advertisement for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. These placements show that U.S. tax-funded advertising dollars appeared on content run by sanctioned Iranian entities.

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not respond to a request for comment on the ad placement. YouTube has not issued a public statement, and the Treasury Department has not responded. The research does not reveal YouTube’s internal compliance procedures, leaving a gap in confirming whether the ad revenue breaches OFAC sanctions.

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Critics argue that monetizing sanctioned channels may breach U.S. sanctions by allowing prohibited revenue to flow to Iranian actors. The findings raise questions about YouTube’s vetting of advertisers and channel owners against OFAC’s sanctions lists.

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• “That means YouTube placed an ad paid for with US tax dollars on a channel for an Iranian government ministry,” — Researchers, WIRED exclusive report

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• “The numerous holders of all these YouTube channels include Iranian individuals and entities that aren’t just subject to the comprehensive US 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,” — Kian Meshkat, attorney specializing in US economic sanctions

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• “The channels have been monetized, meaning that YouTube runs ads on their videos that generate revenue.” — WIRED article

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• “The research, from the nonprofit Tech Transparency Project, identified more than 75 channels that appear to be run by entities that have been officially sanctioned by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which has been enforcing sanctions against Iran for decades.” — WIRED article

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The report may prompt additional scrutiny by U.S. regulators such as OFAC and the Federal Trade Commission. YouTube could be required to examine its ad-placement algorithms and channel verification practices for compliance with sanctions.

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