Digital iron curtain: Russia’s clampdown on YouTube and the fight for free information

In the Western world, social media has become a daily ritual and an integral part of everyday life. However, as the regime tightens its grip in Russia, accessing these platforms is becoming increasingly difficult.

Recently, Roskomnadzor (the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media) began slowing down YouTube, silencing opposition voices, and cutting off access to a vast array of nonpolitical content, from entertainment to education.

This follows the earlier blocking of Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta, which Russian authorities labeled as extremist organizations. Experts warn that the Kremlin may soon escalate from slowing down YouTube to a complete nationwide ban.

Since introducing these restrictions, foreign social networks have witnessed a significant decline in the Russian user base. Instagram’s daily user count in Russia decreased from 38.4 million in February 2022 to just 6.8 million by February 2024. Facebook saw a similar decline, with its user base shrinking by 6.5 times over the same period.

IT specialist Mikhail Klimarev, head of the Society for the Protection of the Internet, told The Media Line that YouTube is a highly significant platform in Russia.

“YouTube is now the most popular social network in Russia, accounting for about 30% of all internet traffic. It’s also one of the last platforms where free media can still disseminate information, followed by Telegram. Blocking YouTube would be a clear act of censorship,” he explained.

VPNs are essential

Christina, 25, like many users in Russia, has found herself navigating an increasingly restricted digital landscape. For her, this shift means adapting to a new reality where VPNs are essential, content is limited, and the sense of connection to the global online community is fading.

“To use Instagram or Facebook, you need a VPN, but it gets blocked too, so you need to have several on your phone because sometimes one works and another doesn’t. Some are paid, some free, but they all might stop working any day, so you constantly have to download something new,” she shared.

“A year ago, Russia started blocking VPNs by protocol. Before that, they blocked large services by access points. They targeted popular protocols like WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IPsec,” Klimarev explained.

“In October 2023, they issued a law banning the promotion of methods to bypass blockages and the blocking of resources describing these methods. This came into effect on May 1. Our site, VPN Generator, was also blocked.

In June, the American company Mozilla removed extensions that help bypass blockages from the Firefox store. A scandal erupted, and they reinstated those extensions, but the damage was done. In July, Apple removed about 20 VPN apps from the Russian App Store. I suspect similar letters and negotiations are happening with Google to remove VPN apps from Google Play,” he added.

“Technically, the Russian government can do whatever they want. All that’s needed now is a political decision, which has essentially already been made with this slowdown. I think we’re just one step away from a complete shutdown,” Klimarev told The Media Line.

Simultaneously, Klimarev highlighted significant breaches of Russian legal standards during this process.

“In Russian law, the term ‘slowdown’ doesn’t even exist. So, what’s happening now, this so-called ‘slowdown,’ is completely illegal from the start.”

Christina explained that while living in this reality is challenging, people gradually adapt.

“When you’re living inside this, it slowly stops bothering you. But when you leave the country, you start realizing the limitations you live under,” she admitted. “You completely reprogram yourself because you have to live and think about your own life and affairs.”

“Sometimes it hits you, and it gets a bit tough. But when you’re just living your daily routine, you don’t really notice it,” she added.

“You get so used to these constant restrictions that you stop reacting strongly. But, for example, bloggers or those who monetize Instagram, media personalities, for them, I think this is a huge problem,” Christina explained.

Klimarev detailed the economic repercussions that would result from blocking YouTube in Russia.

“It would result in significant economic losses for internet service providers (ISPs), especially mobile operators who sell data by the gigabyte. A decrease in YouTube traffic would lead to a drop in overall traffic and, consequently, in revenue.”

“It doesn’t happen all at once. It’s like it all gradually comes in, and alternatives appear, and you’re kind of mentally prepared for it,” Christina said.

The situation with YouTube remains uncertain, but most popular shows have already shifted to the alternative platform VKontakte.

“For example, when the talks about YouTube began, all the top shows in Russia started getting bought up by the VKontakte platform. A year ago, you couldn’t watch some of the top shows on YouTube anymore; you could only watch them on VK,” Christina shared.

The Russian government widely believes VK is under significant influence and control. The platform is known to comply with government requests to remove content and provide user data to authorities.

“The fact that they are cutting us off from the world now makes me feel like we are sliding to North Korea. And when you leave the country, you think, ‘Damn, this is really unpleasant,’” she told The Media Line.

“I don’t think there will be any protests; in a totalitarian society, that’s impossible. When people in the West ask me why no one protested, it’s because those who did were beaten and jailed. If you want to fight a totalitarian regime, try protesting with a baton to the back. I’ve been beaten with a baton, and I don’t want to go through that again,” shared Klimarev.