Youtube Photo: Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/Getty Images
The Russian authorities continue their assault on freedom of speech by tightening control over the Internet. After blocking Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, YouTube remains the last major Western platform available in Russia. However, the Kremlin is doing everything it can to restrict its operation, The New York Times (NYT) reports.
Why is the Kremlin trying to block YouTube?
Video hosting is not yet officially banned, but the Russian authorities consider it a threat. The platform is a source of uncontrolled content, especially anti-war content, and one of the main resources of the opposition.
The Kremlin has also criticised the removal of Russian propaganda channels and videos of musicians who have been subject to Western sanctions. Since the summer of 2023, users in Russia have been complaining about YouTube’s slowdown, which is especially noticeable on fixed connections.
How does Russia restrict access to the platform?
Experts confirm that the drop in speed is not an accident – it is a deliberate restriction of traffic by Russian providers. In December 2023, the problem spread to mobile internet. Millions of Russians complained that videos either did not load or played in too low a quality.
According to experts, this tactic is more effective than full blocking: it pushes users to switch to Russian platforms such as VK Video and RuTube.
Does this strategy work?
According to Google, Russian Internet traffic to YouTube has already decreased by more than three times compared to last year.
However, technologically literate Russians continue to use the platform through VPNs. It is known that more than 60 million Russians know how VPNs work, which means that the authorities cannot completely isolate the country from independent sources of information.
Russia is already imposing massive fines on Google for its reluctance to remove videos about corruption and the war in Ukraine. In July 2023, the company incurred the Kremlin’s wrath when it removed the YouTube channels of musicians supporting the war. It was after this that systemic problems with video uploads began.
Against this backdrop, Vladimir Putin accuses YouTube of following US orders. In his opinion, the platform is imposing political content on Russians instead of music and entertainment.
Will YouTube disappear from Russia?
Although the Kremlin is trying to drive Russians into a “digital ghetto” where only state-controlled content is available, experts are confident that a complete blocking of YouTube is impossible.
VPNs, proxy servers and satellite internet give millions of Russians access to the global information space, and as long as this is the case, the Kremlin will not be able to completely isolate the country.
