Russia’s censorship following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine not only led to the blocking of numerous independent Russian media outlets but also social media platforms popular with their audiences. While Facebook, Instagram and X are nowadays accessible in Russia only through VPNs (virtual private networks), YouTube has been the last major international social media platform available to Russians without the need for proxy tools, allowing them to share content freely without fear of government censorship. It is now the fourth most widely-used internet resource in Russia after Yandex (the country’s popular search engine), Google and WhatsApp and the most popular video streaming service.

Or at least it was until this July, when a State Duma deputy announced Russia would start slowing down YouTube loading speeds on desktop browsers by as much as 70% in response to the platform’s blocking of pro-Kremlin channels. “The ‘degradation’ of YouTube is a required step, directed not against Russian users, but against the administration of a foreign resource, which still believes that it can violate and ignore our legislation with impunity,” he wrote on his Telegram channel. Soon afterwards, Russians noted YouTube’s slowdown and started to fear the government would ban it altogether in the upcoming months. (The debate about why YouTube hasn’t been completely banned in Russia often centres on concerns that blocking such a popular streaming service could push more people to use VPNs, potentially slowing down the entire Russian internet.)

YouTube as an entry point to Russia

For many independent Russian media outlets, YouTube, as one of the rare independent media platforms still allowed in the country, has been a crucial entry point to reach those Russia’s residents who don’t use VPN services. A crackdown on the video streaming platform could significantly hinder their ability to distribute content and reach their audience. “In case of a ban, the number of viewers will inevitably fall,” says Tikhon Dzyadko, chief editor of the independent Russian TV station Dozhd, nowadays broadcasting from the Netherlands and running a YouTube channel with about 4.6 million subscribers. Dozhd considers YouTube its main distribution platform. (Alongside other media outlets mentioned in this article, Dozhd is blocked in Russia and declared an “undesirable organisation” in the aftermath of the invasion, a label compromising its employees and supporters).

YouTube has also become an important tool for news websites that are blocked in Russia. The YouTube channel of the Latvia-based Meduza attracts millions of views monthly. As for Novaya Gazeta Europe, the exiled version of the namesake Russian newspaper founded by the Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov, the streaming service with its over 650,000 subscribers represents the newspaper’s most popular social media platform. “It is not only an excellent tool for distributing content created by the website’s editorial staff, but also a separate media outlet for which our team creates exclusive materials,” says Gleb Belichenko, the head of the newspaper’s video department.

Navigating alternative platforms and formats

With Russia’s YouTube slowdown and a potential ban looming, these media outlets are exploring ways to maintain contact with their audiences on the platform. Their main approach is to offer content on platforms that remain accessible in Russia but are not owned by Russian entities, as that would almost certainly lead to a ban.

These platforms should be convenient to their audiences; sometimes, this criteria means developing your own platform. At Dozhd they have asked their viewers to download the TV channel’s app and to follow them on the messaging platform Telegram and the live streaming service Twitch. Meduza is launching “Radio Meduza”, a lighter, audio alternative for its video and text content, while Novaya Gazeta Europe plans to focus on short vertical video content. “There are several other ideas that I don’t want to say out loud, so as not to make the work of Russian security forces easier,” the newspaper Belichenko explains.

VPNs, apps, video games, …

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, YouTube has been one of the few platforms accessible without special tools. However, as such tools now seem necessary for a smooth streaming experience, independent media outlets have started directing their audiences to alternative methods for accessing the video service.

Meduza has published an extensive guide on how to navigate free and premium VPNs as well as other apps and extensions which mask the source of the traffic for the censors. Dozhd asks its followers to download the browser extension for its website, while Novaya Gazeta Europe encourages its readers to download the newspaper’s VPN service, “VPNovaya”, and even suggests Minecraft aficionados to watch YouTube through the popular video game.

“We will survive”

Despite the incessant censorship challenges, the three media outlets remain confident they will retain their audiences. “We will survive, as we have survived all previous bans. We are confident that even if YouTube becomes only accessible via VPN, we will find our readers. We have already experienced this with Instagram,” say our Meduza’s interlocutors. “It will take some time to get the audience used to using alternative resources, but I’m sure it’s possible,” notes Dozhd’s Dzyadko. Meanwhile, Novaya Gazeta Europe’s Belichenko believes it is possible a YouTube ban would lead more people to use VPN services. “This would be handy to all media outlets that are outlawed in Russia due to their anti-war stance,” he says.

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