In Russia, a widespread disruption of YouTube has been reported, coinciding with increasing official criticism of the platform.Â
On August 8, Russian internet monitoring service Sboi.rf documented numerous issues with YouTube’s functionality, with many users finding access only possible through virtual private networks (VPNs).
Reports from Russia indicated that YouTube was largely inaccessible, though some users managed to reach the site through mobile devices.
Neither Google nor the Russian state communications agency, Roskomnadzor, responded promptly to requests for comments on the situation.
YouTube remains one of the few platforms in Russia where content critical of the Kremlin is still available, despite a recent slowdown in the site’s performance.
Russian officials have attributed the slow speeds to Google’s lack of investment in local infrastructure, a claim which YouTube has denied.
Alexander Khinshtein, a parliamentary committee head, criticized YouTube’s performance, suggesting that it was a deliberate step against foreign entities disregarding Russian laws.
