Putin Could Leave Russia Without YouTube: The History Of Bans And The Reasons Behind Them – OpEd
This article will outline an accurate sequence of events related to the slowing down of YouTube in Russia. Based on the actions taken by Russian authorities to block the video hosting platform and the reasons behind these measures, we will attempt to identify the future consequences of these decisions for the country as a social system. The investigation will also take into account the personal opinions of Russian citizens and the authoritative views of experts familiar with politics.
First, it is necessary to outline the disposition of the investigation. On March 4, 2022, Google, the owner of YouTube, disabled advertisements for all Russian channels, according to Forbes. As a result, content creators from Russia lost their primary method of monetizing their YouTube channels.
Starting from March 11, 2022, YouTube began actively blocking Russian television channels on its platform. These included both entertainment channels, such as Evening Urgant, and political channels like RT, Russia Today, RBC, and others. Both Russian-language and Russian channels targeting foreign audiences were affected.
It is worth noting that YouTube’s blocking efforts began earlier, in 2020, when the platform blocked 13 channels, the most notable being Soloviev LIVE and Crimea-24. This was reportedly due to “fake news about COVID-19,” according to TASS and the online publication Vedomosti.
Since March 2022, Roskomnadzor has demanded that YouTube remove approximately 60,000 prohibited “extremist” materials and fake content related to the “special military operation.”
“Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor, abbreviated as RKN) is a Russian federal executive body responsible for regulating communications, information technology, and mass media.” — Wikipedia
In response to the disregard of Roskomnadzor’s demands and Google’s negative stance toward the official representation of Russian media on the YouTube platform — referring to the blocking of Russian channels — this was perceived in Russia as censorship and a violation of freedom of speech principles. Under the “sovereign internet” law (Federal Law №90-FZ), Roskomnadzor began applying technical measures to limit YouTube’s speed.
The so-called technical means to counter threats (TSPU) were used, which significantly slowed down the platform’s performance or even completely blocked access to certain resources, according to the publication vc-ru. YouTube was fortunate to only face throttling. It was not blocked due to the lack of viable alternatives to replace it. This was repeatedly emphasized by deputies and ministers. However, this did not save social networks from Meta — Instagram and Facebook — from being blocked.
By the end of 2024, according to reports from Russian citizens, YouTube is still being throttled. A new wave of throttling can even be detected. This time, the traffic of the video hosting platform has decreased to up to 20%, as reported by mezha.media.
Now I decided to delve into what politically active Russians think about the issue of YouTube throttling. I would like to know your opinion as a right-wing conservative on the blocking of YouTube in Russia for my article: What political motives do you think could have prompted the Russian government to make such a decision? And what potential consequences might arise?
“Well, as I see it, this is a repeat of Oceania in George Orwell’s ‘1984.’ A totalitarian and militaristic state. The only thing that needs to be blocked and repressed for the benefit of the nation is Putin and his gang. Our government shouldn’t even exist. It should be ripped out with blood and thrown away.” — Independent anonymous expert
Judging by the interviews and the opinions of Russians I’ve observed while working on the investigation, the throttling of YouTube has a more negative than positive impact. Throttling hinders the popularization of self-expression and business development. In the long term, such actions only increase the growing divide between the government and the people. The people want to develop, live, and enjoy life, while the government seeks to maintain increasing control over the population. And almost always, such control ultimately harms the regime.
If you speak Russian, I can suggest you watch a video on this topic by one of the main Russian opposition figures: https://youtu.be/71DyCDqYUvI?si=eir4c4gPL4maiLh4
