-1723114661168.webp)
- By Ashish Singh
- Thu, 08 Aug 2024 04:32 PM (IST)
- Source:Reuters
YouTube Down In Russia: Google-owned video streaming platform YouTube is reportedly facing massive disruptions in terms of accessibility, Reuters reported on Thursday. The report further stated that the Russian internet monitoring site Sboi.rf claimed that thousands of users are reporting problems accessing YouTube. The users have been using virtual private networks (VPNs) in order to continue watching videos on YouTube.
Some of the users reported that the platform is not even opening and is completely inaccessible. Reuters reported that their Russian correspondents were also not able to use the platform. Some of the devices remained unaffected, the report added.
One of the last significant strongholds of free speech remaining on the Russian internet is YouTube, which still hosts Kremlin opponents' content that has been mostly removed from other well-known social media platforms in the country.
YouTube Down? Users Across India Facing Problems In Uploading Videos, Shorts From Studio
The company counters the accusations made by Russian MPs, who attribute the site's noticeable download slowdown in recent weeks to Alphabet's Google, which owns YouTube. The leader of a parliamentary committee on information policy, Alexander Khinshtein, issued a warning last month that YouTube speeds could decrease by up to 70%.
He stated that the decline was "a necessary step, directed not against Russian users, but against the administration of a foreign resource that still believes it can violate and ignore our legislation without punishment." Later, Khinshtein specifically blamed Google for the lag, a claim YouTube refuted, claiming that Google had neglected to invest in Russian infrastructure, such as its local cache servers.
A representative for YouTube stated last week that the company was aware of rumours circulating that certain Russians were having trouble accessing the platform, as reported by Reuters. It stated that this was not the result of any technological problems on its end.