YouTube faces speed drops in Russia amid tensions

YouTube speeds in Russia are expected to significantly decline on desktop computers due to Google’s failure to upgrade its equipment in the country and its refusal to unblock Russian media channels. The situation has drawn criticism from Alexander Khinshtein, head of the lower house of parliament’s information policy committee, who emphasised that the slowdown is a repercussion of YouTube’s actions. Khinshtein highlighted that download speeds on the platform have already decreased by 40% and could drop by up to 70% next week.

The decline in YouTube quality is attributed to Google’s inaction, particularly its failure to upgrade Google Global Cache servers in Russia. Additionally, Google has not invested in Russian infrastructure and allowed its local subsidiary to go bankrupt, preventing it from covering local data centre expenses. Communications regulator Roskomnadzor has echoed these concerns, indicating that the lack of upgrades has led to deteriorating service quality.

Google has faced multiple fines from Russia for not removing content deemed illegal or undesirable by the Russian government. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in March 2022, YouTube blocked channels associated with Russian state-funded media worldwide, citing its policy against content that denies or trivialises well-documented violent events. Subsequently, Google’s Russian subsidiary filed for bankruptcy, citing Russian authorities’ seizure of its bank account as the reason for its inability to function. Meanwhile, some Russian officials, including Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, have proposed blocking YouTube entirely in response to the ongoing tensions.