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VKontakte Overtakes YouTube in Web Traffic for First Time in Russia

The Russian social network has witnessed a surge in traffic since users in Russia began reporting problems with playback speeds on YouTube.

Russia Presses Criminal Charges Against YouTuber Varlamov for Breaking ‘Foreign Agents’ Law

Ilya Varlamov, who resides outside Russia, has vowed to continue posting online without the mandatory “foreign agent” label.

Russia Fines Google $2.5 Decillion Over YouTube Bans – RBC

Google reportedly began accumulating daily penalties of 100,000 rubles in 2020 after it was ordered to restore pro-government YouTube channels.

Russian YouTubers See Drop in Views Amid Government Slowdown Efforts – Vedomosti

Some of the most popular YouTubers in Russia saw their views drop between 12% and 78% from July 22 to Aug. 25 compared to the previous month.

Russia’s Media Regulator Tells Internet Providers to Stop Speeding Up YouTube – Reports

Industry insiders previously said they did not believe the workarounds violated any rules since the Russian government did not issue official restrictions...

Russian Internet Providers Work to Speed Up YouTube – Kommersant

The move comes nearly a month after online users in Russia started experiencing sharp declines in YouTube loading speeds.

Widespread YouTube Outages Reported Across Russia

Some Russia-based users told MT they resolved loading issues through the help of VPNs, a common tool for bypassing censorship.

VK Video App Downloads Surge as YouTube Playback Speeds Plummet

Users across Russia began reporting problems with download speeds on YouTube last week after the authorities warned of a slowdown.

YouTube Users Across Russia Report Sharp Decline in Loading Speeds

A senior Russian lawmaker recently claimed that download speeds on the video streaming platform would drop by 70% on desktop browsers.

As Russia Throttles YouTube, Exiled Opposition Voices Prepare for Total Blackout

For the exiled opposition and independent media, losing YouTube would mean losing a critical means of reaching millions inside Russia.

Russia Demands Google Restore 200 Pro-Kremlin YouTube Channels

State media regulator Roskomnadzor said it sent Google CEO Sundar Pichai a request to unblock the channels.

Russia Starts Thwarting YouTube Speeds

The video site has been a vital platform for independent journalists and opposition members since the start of the war.

YouTube Blocks Anti-War Videos at Russia’s Request – Agentstvo

It also notified the human rights watchdog OVD-Info that one of its channels may be blocked after it recently received a complaint from Roskomnadzor.

YouTube Blocks Content Featuring Russia’s Wagner Mercenary Group

The video-hosting platform said in a statement that it is prohibited to post materials about “criminal and terrorist organizations.”

YouTube Blocked in Ukraine's Russian-Occupied Kherson

The Kremlin has so far stopped short of blacklisting YouTube in Russia itself.

Moscow Threatens to Expel U.S. Journalists Over YouTube Block

"If you block a briefing one more time, one journalist or one U.S. outlet will go home," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

YouTube Accused of 'Censorship' in Russia

Fears mount that the U.S. company maybe next in line for a ban in Russia.

Russia Accuses Google, YouTube of 'Terrorist' Activities

The comments mark the first step towards a possible access ban.

YouTube Blocks Russian State Media in Europe

RT and Sputnik's YouTube channels will no longer be accessible to European audiences.

Navalny’s ‘Putin’s Palace’ Investigation Named Most Popular Video on Russian YouTube in 2021

The investigation, which has been viewed over 119 million times, helped fuel nationwide protests in January and February.

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