YouTube Throttled in Russia Over Content

Thousands of YouTube users in Russia reported issues accessing the site, with many attributing the problems to deliberate throttling by Russian authorities. Speeds have been slowed to 128 kbps, making video playback nearly impossible, which some consider effectively a ban. Users can only access YouTube reliably through VPNs. This action is part of ongoing tensions between the Russian government and US tech companies, exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russian lawmakers blame YouTube’s parent company, Alphabet's Google, for the slowdown, a claim Google disputes. YouTube remains one of the few platforms hosting content by Kremlin critics, amid broader internet censorship in Russia.