YouTube in Russia: Slowdowns, Statements, and What It Means for Users

Since early summer, chatter about the potential blocking of YouTube in Russia has filled many media outlets. Citizens began noticing the topic in 2022, but the latest wave, with many major platforms weighing in, felt especially alarming. It seemed like momentum was building. By late July, many users reported slower video loading, though the exact reasons remained unclear. This piece looked into what was happening and who might be responsible.

Summer 2023

The earliest credible talk of a possible ban began in the summer of 2023. Back then, the tone was cautiously reassuring. Anton Gorelkin, deputy chairman of the IT committee of the State Duma, argued that there was no ready-made alternative to YouTube yet, and despite what Google faced, blocking it outright wasn’t feasible. Skeptics warned that many services had faced restrictions before, but the issue faded for a while.

June 2024

At the start of summer 2024, Gorelkin offered a markedly different view:

“There is no final answer yet to the most common question: ‘When will it be blocked?’ It is likely the regulator will not begin with a ban, but with measures that slow access.”

Users braced for the worst, and the countdown to July began in earnest.

July 2024

Around mid-July, Rostelecom reported significant technical issues involving Google equipment in Russia—specifically the Google Global Cache (GGC). GGC is designed to accelerate video loading for a country by serving popular files from local caches instead of directly from Google’s main servers. Typically, these caches sit within provider networks, with several located in Russia.

The reasoning was straightforward. Since 2022, Google had halted updates and expansion of its technology in Russia, while user traffic kept growing. Without changes, delays and outages were likely to accumulate.

Less than two weeks later, Rostelecom confirmed a drop in YouTube loading speeds, especially for HD and 4K, again pointing at Google and aging hardware as the culprits.

Yet the very next day, Alexander Khinshtein, chair of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, suggested the slowdown could be the state’s own action, aimed at signaling to YouTube that sanctions would not be tolerated and that operations in Russia might be constrained. He stressed two points: the slowdown affected desktop PCs and was not intended to harm local users.

Two opposing narratives emerged. Rostelecom and the Duma’s account drew contradictions, prompting Khinshtein to issue further clarifications, comparing Google equipment to Rostelecom’s setup. He noted a decrease in the number of GGC servers since 2022 and mentioned that Google had proposed temporary fixes, all of which relied on Russian data centers contemplating less cooperation in August, which in turn would affect download speeds.

On the same day, Rostelecom issued another statement agreeing with Khinshtein that government agencies participated in slowing YouTube. The situation grew murky once again.

What do you think is the reason for YouTube’s poor performance?

Causes

With no single official explanation, the analysis considers both sides. It is clear that Google has not provided technical support or updates in Russia. Even before Google pulled back, many experts warned about potential consequences for users of YouTube and other Google services.

For a period, the approach of establishing direct connections to Google’s networks helped. Operators expanded direct links to core networks, which improved speeds. For Google, this reduced content transmission costs and boosted efficiency.

Still, the GGC problem persisted, and direct connections only bought time rather than a lasting solution.

It is hard to ignore the possible influence of government actions on performance slowdowns. After a wave of complaints, some experts argued that such erratic issues could not be fully explained by aging equipment, since a real decline would tend to be gradual rather than abrupt. Yet a sharp rise in slowdowns among Russian users became noticeable.

There is a mechanism for slowing services. Government agencies could deploy throttling on telecom equipment across providers. Technical means that monitor traffic and filter content—TSPU—can be used with a different aim to slow selected services, including YouTube. Similar methods have been applied to other social networks, making a repeat scenario plausible.

What awaits us

In early August, some users reported videos failing to load altogether. Practical fixes emerged, but they were temporary. The overall outlook remains uncertain.

Despite various statements, there is still no clear path to a full YouTube ban. Even without an outright block, Russia’s video hosting could face ongoing issues due to aging GGC infrastructure and constrained bandwidth. The trend suggests a slower, less stable experience rather than a quick reversal.

Alternatives such as VK Video or RuTube exist, but they rarely offer the same level of quality and innovation as Google’s platform. Google has invested years in refining streaming experiences, while Russian equivalents have lagged behind in tech and user experience—two or three years’ difference is no small gap.

One outcome is evident: monetization on YouTube is increasingly challenging. Many creators are cross-posting to other platforms and seeking support on services like Boosty. This shift is likely to continue.

Even with calming statements, the YouTube situation is unlikely to improve soon. Whether the final decision rests with authorities or with technical limitations, the impact on users remains disappointing.

How would you feel if YouTube stopped working altogether?

Attribution: VG Times