Russia Outlines Terms for YouTube’s Full Restoration
(MENAFN) YouTube may only resume complete operations in Russia if it satisfies a range of legal and technological prerequisites, according to Anton Nemkin, a representative in the State Duma who spoke with a news agency.
While YouTube has not been officially prohibited, it has become largely inaccessible in Russia since the previous year.
Users experienced significant slowdowns in the platform’s loading times, which officials attributed to the lack of local server maintenance following Google’s withdrawal from the Russian market in 2022.
Authorities later acknowledged that the service degradation was also partly due to YouTube’s noncompliance with Russian regulations.
Nemkin stated on Friday that in order for YouTube to operate fully in the country once again, it must address abandoned infrastructure, resolve unpaid penalties, and formally establish a corporate presence within Russian territory.
Additionally, the lawmaker urged the platform to reinstate Russian accounts that had been removed. YouTube has taken down various media channels, including “RT” and “Sputnik,” and has frequently removed content produced by Russian content creators such as bloggers, reporters, and entertainers.
According to Moscow, these removals are seen as targeting content that expresses perspectives differing from those dominant in Western narratives.
“Without these steps, it’s impossible to speak of any ‘easing’ – this is not about politics, but legal compliance,” Nemkin emphasized.
In March, it was disclosed that Google LLC, registered in Russia, owed domestic broadcasters an astonishing USD1.16 quintillion in fines due to its failure to reinstate their YouTube channels.
Earlier, in January, a news agency reported that the global Google entity was liable for over USD22 undecillion.
The Kremlin characterized these enormous sums as symbolic, meant to compel the company into adhering to Russian legal standards.
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