In Russia, they again started talking about the closure of YouTube
A new wave of discussions about the possible blocking of YouTube in Russia has risen on the network. Let's talk about what caused it.
After blocking Instagram *, netizens began to actively discuss the topic of closing the second major foreign portal - YouTube. Experts assumed that the video service would repeat the fate of the social network from Meta*.
The information was immediately denied. Thus, State Duma Deputy Alexander Khinshtein announced in March 2022 that YouTube would not be closed. Rumors appeared on the network that in Russia they were already slowing down the work of YouTube and limiting traffic, but this information was denied by Roskomnadzor. Although the network noticed that the covers for the videos began to load "once"
What happened now
This race of "stuffing" and denials continues. By According to RBC, the head of Gazprom-Media, Alexander Zharov, said that YouTube would be closed only when the hosting company "engaged in systematic and deliberate violation of Russian law."
On the same day, information from Evgeny Prigozhin appeared in the Telegram channels. Allegedly, he announced that YouTube will be closed in the near future, and those who continue to use it will be punished. The information was immediately denied by State Duma deputy Alexander Khinshtein, saying that he had heard about the impending blocking of the service for the first time. It turned out that the quote was taken out of context and presented incorrectly.
What will happen next
Most likely, the wave of discussion about the closure of YouTube will not end. Reason: This is a topic that is exciting to everyone, which collects large views on the network. Experts explain that blocking video hosting will lead to nothing.
First, many will continue to use it through a VPN. Secondly, there are no alternatives to YouTube in Russia. Even the domestic Rutube is not a competitor to the "giant" from Google. This is understood by both the authorities and Rutube itself. Thirdly, after an unlikely blocking, some users will “go nowhere” and find new portals (including foreign ones) to be interested in their favorite content.
Recall that YouTube itself in mid-2022 turned off monetization for Russian bloggers. This means that content authors in the Russian Federation cannot make a profit from advertising on their channels.
*Instagram is owned by Meta, which is recognized as an extremist organization and banned in the Russian Federation.