Sergei Grebennikov, who leads the Russian Association of Electronic Communications (RAEC), notes that Yandex has long competed with Google within Russia. Today the Russian tech giant is an expansive ecosystem offering mail, delivery services, taxi calls, its own marketplace, and a growing catalog of digital content, a view he shared in an interview with socialbites.ca.
Commenting on a StatCounter study, which indicates a dip in demand for Google products and services in Russia, the expert emphasized that Google Chrome remains the dominant browser across all devices, while Yandex Browser holds a notable share.
He explained that when considering all devices, Chrome’s share stands at 52.3 percent, with Yandex Browser at 19.9 percent. This data, he argued, does not yet prove a lasting shift away from Google, suggesting that the decline is not a definitive trend at this time.
Beyond browser usage, Grebennikov observed that in Russia, search engines have always been a battleground between Yandex and Google. A sizeable portion of Russians still prefers Yandex as the default search option rather than Google, reflecting strong local familiarity and convenience.
The RAEC leader also noted that some Google products have left or diminished presence in Russia. The Google Ads platform paused operations in the country, and Google Maps has historically provided less information than Yandex.Maps in the domestic market.
Regarding video content, Grebennikov pointed out that while a large number of vloggers and creators continue to publish on YouTube and audiences keep watching, there is a growing share of original content appearing on Russian video hosting platforms.
He argued that as domestic alternatives mature, Russian internet users tend to explore them, driven by curiosity and the natural impulse to compare products and services. The key question, he added, is whether these sites can retain users, which will depend on factors such as convenience, design, and ongoing improvements.
Earlier, analysts from StatCounter reported a noticeable decline in the demand for Google products and services in Russia over the year. In July, roughly 45 percent of Russians accessed the internet from computers using the Google Chrome browser, about 5 percentage points lower than the previous year. Additionally, around 39 percent of search traffic in mid-summer flowed through Google, a figure that stood at 48.6 percent in July 2022.