Russia Admits It Cannot Block YouTube Due to Implementation Difficulties

YouTube remains unblocked in Russia because blocking it is technically difficult, especially in the absence of alternatives. This opinion was expressed by Anton Gorelkin, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, during a panel discussion titled ‘All Means Are Justified in Information Warfare,’ according to TASS.

‘Those who say let’s block YouTube today simply don’t understand what they’re talking about. I would like to be at the forefront and shout about this issue, but today it is very difficult to implement from a technological standpoint. That’s why it still exists. YouTube is not yet blocked,’ emphasized Gorelkin.

He added that, for example, there were reasons for blocking Instagram, and it has since been blocked. According to Gorelkin, ‘the social impacts of that decision have been minimal.’

‘As for YouTube, yes, there is no alternative; it is impossible to create a proper alternative within a year. ... Today, we need to be better than YouTube if we want to build an alternative. We need to offer better conditions for bloggers; we must abandon advertising. Of course, this might not seem economically efficient, but it must be done,’ Gorelkin concluded.