Russian users are facing major problems with YouTube lately. The site is either loading very slowly or not working at all for many people. Although YouTube isn’t officially banned in Russia, the outages have been increasing. Members of the ruling United Russia Party are threatening to further restrict access to YouTube this fall. The platform has become a significant rival to TV for political content in Russia. Until recently, the Kremlin couldn’t block YouTube, but now it has the capability. However, blocking YouTube might drastically slow down the entire internet in Russia.
Why is YouTube slowing down in Russia?
There are two main reasons for YouTube’s poor performance in Russia: one technical and one political.
First, the technical issue. YouTube’s local equipment in Russia, installed by Google until 2022, is outdated. After Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, Google stopped its operations in Russia. Russian courts then fined Google about $370 million for not removing content related to Russian war crimes, LGBTQ issues, and “extremism,” though the exact nature of this content wasn’t defined. Because of this, the old equipment wasn’t replaced, causing the decline in video quality.
The second reason is political. Russian authorities want to punish Google for removing pro-Putin channels while keeping content that the Kremlin finds objectionable. They have been using packet filtering to control access to specific websites without clear legal guidelines.
In July, Rostelecom, Russia’s biggest state-run digital services provider, said YouTube’s quality was dropping due to old equipment. Anton Gorelkin, a Russian official, blamed Google for not maintaining its servers in Russia. On the other hand, Alexander Khinshtein, another official, suggested that the slowdowns were politically motivated. He believed the Russian government was using these slowdowns to pressure Google.
By early August, reports showed YouTube videos in Russia were playing in lower quality, with some sources saying the speed had been reduced to 128 kilobits per second. Despite these issues, YouTube traffic in Russia was actually growing.
How YouTube became as popular as TV
YouTube has become incredibly popular in Russia, with 82.6 million users daily, nearing the 89 million TV viewers. TV viewership is declining, with popular shows losing about 40% of their audience since 2017. Many political YouTube channels are getting as many views as top TV programs, and some are even surpassing them.
Channels like Maxim Katz, Ilya Varlamov, and “Vot Tak” draw millions of views, similar to popular TV content. However, political videos are only a small part of YouTube traffic, with children’s content and cartoons being the most-watched. Parents and fans of music and comedy will likely be most affected by any YouTube restrictions.
Potential internet collapse
Internet speeds in Russia have been improving, but issues persist, especially with equipment updates and new installations. If YouTube is blocked, it could overload the internet infrastructure, as YouTube traffic would shift to less efficient routes.
Currently, YouTube traffic in Russia is managed through Google Global Cache (GGC) servers. These servers, located in Russia, help deliver videos efficiently and save bandwidth. However, if YouTube is blocked, Russian operators might face a dramatic increase in traffic, potentially leading to slower internet speeds and higher costs.
The role of VPNs and the rise of scammers
VPNs, or Virtual Private Networks, are essential for bypassing internet restrictions. They help users access blocked content by masking their internet traffic. However, as censorship increases, scammers have begun exploiting the situation. Many people searching for ways to speed up their YouTube access have encountered fake websites and apps designed to steal personal information or install viruses.
One example is GoodbyeDPI, a popular tool for bypassing censorship. It recently became a target for scammers who created fake versions with malware. The situation highlights the challenges users face in accessing content and staying safe online in a highly restricted environment.
Meanwhile, in a groundbreaking court ruling Google’s $100 billion monopoly was finally exposed. A federal judge has just ruled that Google broke the law by creating a monopoly on online searches, a major victory for US antitrust authorities. The court found that Google, which controls a staggering 89% of the search market and 95% on mobile, used its power unfairly by paying billions to stay the default search engine on devices. This ruling is a huge win for competition advocates and could lead to serious consequences for Google, including a potential breakup. Google plans to fight back and has already faced other legal troubles, adding to the drama surrounding Big Tech’s growing power.
