Russia’s promise to dramatically slow down YouTube speeds in the country has effectively led to a YouTube outage there, according to thousands of user reports and news outlets.Many Russia-based YouTube users reported issues with the site’s desktop version on Thursday. The Moscow Times reports that one outage tracker received 12,000 reports of a YouTube outage in Russia, while another received over 1,400. RBC-Ukraine reports that users also faced issues with YouTube’s Android app in Russia, while some mobile users can still access the app. Reuters journalists in Russia also report that YouTube isn’t working in the country.Russia-focused news outlet Meduza reports that Russian authorities have dragged YouTube speeds down to an absolute crawl at just 128 kbps. Speeds this slow can’t play videos over 240p, and can only handle some audio. While the platform hasn’t seen an outright block per se, lowering speeds this dramatically is as good as a ban for most users. YouTube users in Russia can technically get around this censorship by using a VPN, however. Tensions and conflicts between the Russian government and US social media platforms have been on the rise since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. YouTube and Russia have jostled over which channels get to stay up, with Russia previously calling for Google to restore 200 pro-Kremlin channels that YouTube had taken down. Mikhail Klimare, director of the nonprofit Internet Protection Society, has repeatedly criticized Russia’s internet censorship, recently telling The Moscow Times that the YouTube slowdown is “a clear case of blackmail.” PCMag has reached out to Google for comment.
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Russia has also designated Meta’s Facebook and Instagram “extremist platforms” because the US tech giant allows for open discussion of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine and criticism of Russia’s leadership. Russia restricted Instagram access in early 2022 and sentenced a Meta communications executive to prison in absentia over supposed “extremist activities.”
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