Kremlin has no intentions to limit YouTube, reports say

Due to outdated servers, YouTube may experience slow speeds in Russia, as reported by Dmitry Peskov.

Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the Kremlin, clarified on Friday that there are no intentions for Russian authorities to limit YouTube's access. This statement was in response to the circulating rumors about potential restrictions for the video platform within the country.

Rostelecom, the principal internet provider of Russia, alerted earlier that Russian YouTube users might encounter significant speed issues soon, arising from technical problems linked to the servers of Google, YouTube's parent company, stationed in the country. It was highlighted that the equipment hadn't been updated for more than two years, due to Google reducing its operations in Russia after the emergence of the Ukraine conflict.

Following this revelation, multiple Russian media channels circulated reports, quoting anonymous insiders supposedly connected to the Kremlin, that YouTube could face a total blockade in Russia by September.

However, Peskov reassured in a press meeting that there are no plans for the government to block the digital video sharing platform. He attributed the deceleration to technical hurdles associated with Google's servers.

In response to a query about Moscow reaching out to YouTube over this issue, Peskov stated that it was likely Russian firms had already made attempts to contact the platform.

Peskov emphasized that YouTube was responsible for limiting its presence in the Russian market, adding that "we can only regret this, but of course, exiting this market produces its technological ramifications."

Anton Gorelkin, the deputy head of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, also noted in a Telegram post that the slow YouTube speeds in Russia are not a result of any regulatory decisions made by the country.

In 2022, a few months post the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, Google informed Russian ISPs of its intent to end its contracts for maintaining Google Global Cache servers located in the nation.

These servers facilitate the speedy loading of Google pages, including YouTube content, by temporarily storing data to decrease cross-border traffic, thereby reducing network infrastructure costs.