Home » The head of one of the largest media holdings in Russia called to block YouTube

The head of one of the largest media holdings in Russia called to block YouTube

by alex

In Russia, they are increasingly “tightening the screws” on their own citizens, almost chanting “freedom is slavery”. Now the general director of Gazprom-Media, Alexander Zharov, has proposed blocking YouTube in Russia.

The former head of Roskomnadzor proposes to do this on the condition that the video service violates the law. This is reported by the Russian media, writes Channel 24.

What YouTube did not please the CEO of Gazprom-Media

After the start of a large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Western video service blocked more than one Russian channel that promoted hatred and supported the bloodshed of Ukrainians. Among its “victims” are channels of both Russian propagandists and the authorities of this country.

So, for example, in the spring of 2022, the platform closed access to the Duma TV channel, which covered the work of the State Duma. YouTube also blocked access to:

  • several briefings by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova,
  • videos with the former head of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin,
  • channel TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov.

Due to such blocking of channels and videos, representatives of the Russian authorities have repeatedly threatened to block the service itself in Russia in response. “YouTube signed its own death warrant,” Zakharova once said.

If the platform continues to engage in systematic and deliberate violation of Russian law, this issue should be considered, said Alexander Zharov.< /p>

However, as of early 2023, the words remained just words. Probably because the Western service allows you to sow the seeds of your propaganda and justify your actions not only on the territory of the aggressor country, whose population is already zombified.

According to Russian media, the Kremlin decided not to block YouTube after the results closed poll. However, given the blocking of other popular Internet services, it is clear that the Russian authorities absolutely do not care about the opinion of their population.

Rutube vs YouTube

With all the threats, Zharov understands that their own “no analogue” video service will not be able to lag behind YouTube. According to him, when blocking a Western site in Russia:

  • some users will remain on the platform via VPN,
  • others will not go anywhere,
  • thirds will go to other platforms, including Rutube.

Therefore, Rutube cannot completely replace YouTube. One of the reasons, according to the general director of Gazprom-Media, is the development of a Western service together with Google. Instead, the Russian video site is only “at the beginning” of development.

They (YouTube and Google – Channel 24) have a recommender neural network that has been in the making for eight years now. You just thought, and she already tells you: yes, yes, now ladies. We are at the beginning of the journey,” he explained.

However, it is interesting to note that Rutube was not created yesterday and not from the beginning of the “unacceptable” work of the Western service. It was created 17 years ago, in 2006. And during this time, they did not interfere with his development.

Zharov also understands that as much content will not appear on Rutube as on YouTube. All – because of the impossibility of a regional service to compete with the world. Yes, a third of the entire Internet sits on the American platform.

“The amount of national Russian-language content at some point should become proportional on Rutube and, possibly, more. But this will not happen due to the fact that someone then someone will be closed or the platform will leave itself. This is an evolutionary process,” he said, which, given Russia's inappropriate behavior towards its neighbors, sounds quite ominous.

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