Russian State Duma Deputy Aleksandr Khinshtein announced on July 25 that by the end of next week, the speed of video uploads to YouTube in Russia will decrease by 70 percent. Khinshtein wrote on Telegram that the artificial slowdown was related to the allegation that YouTube "violates and ignores the law with impunity." In early July, YouTube blocked the channels of several Russian singers and artists over their support of Russia's war in Ukraine. Khinshtein accused YouTube of having an anti-Russian hosting policy that removes the channels of public figures whose "position differs from the Western point of view." Khinshtein is the first Russian authority to publicly confirm Moscow's involvement in slowing down YouTube in Russia. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
