Russian President Vladimir Putin will investigate reports of slow connectivity and disruptions on YouTube, following a complaint from a top Russian cinema official, the Kremlin announced on Friday, as reported by Reuters.
Critics allege that these issues may be deliberate, aiming to limit Russian access to content critical of Putin and his government. However, Russian authorities deny the claims, instead blaming Google for failing to improve its technical infrastructure.
While Russian internet monitoring agencies have highlighted widespread disruptions to YouTube in recent months, the country’s communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, stated on Friday that it has not interfered with YouTube’s service quality.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov linked the slowdowns to Google’s alleged failure to comply with Russian regulations, adding that technical questions should be directed to Roskomnadzor.
Google has not issued a comment on the matter.
According to research firm Mediascope, over 50 million Russians use YouTube daily.
Notably, Google and other foreign tech firms have faced mounting pressure in Russia over the years, particularly for refusing to remove alleged “fake” content related to the Ukraine war.
