Roskomnadzor Continues to Hold Google Responsible for YouTube Slowdowns
The ongoing dispute between Russian citizens, regulatory authorities, and telecom operators over YouTube’s performance in Russia continues to unfold. Recently, a user filed a complaint with the St. Petersburg Prosecutor’s Office, alleging that Roskomnadzor and PJSC Rostelecom violated the “On Communications” law while providing traffic transmission services. The complaint emphasized that every citizen has the right to create, search for, receive, transmit, and distribute information.
A few weeks later, the prosecutor’s office redirected the complaint to Roskomnadzor. In its official response, Roskomnadzor stated that Rostelecom could not be held administratively liable under Article 13.2.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. According to Roskomnadzor, YouTube is owned by the foreign company Google LLC, which officially ceased operations in Russia two years ago and stopped supporting its caching infrastructure within Russian networks. This, they claim, has led to a decline in the quality of YouTube’s service in Russia.
The agency also reiterated that Google blocks Russian channels “popular among Russian users.” Additionally, Google has repeatedly violated Russian law, resulting in administrative penalties and fines totaling over 25 billion rubles.
“Thus, the reason for the unsatisfactory performance of YouTube is Google LLC’s withdrawal from fulfilling its obligations to Russian users, its irresponsible business practices, and its unwillingness to operate in accordance with Russian laws,” Roskomnadzor’s response stated.
As a result, the North-Western Federal District branch of Roskomnadzor issued a decision to refuse to initiate an administrative case. The user also received a copy of this official refusal, which clarified that the circumstances described in the complaint did not meet the requirements outlined in the “On Communications” law, violations of which would trigger administrative liability under Part 2 of Article 13.2.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. Both documents are in the possession of Roskomsvoboda.
Legal Actions and Roskomnadzor’s Position
Another user filed an administrative lawsuit against Roskomnadzor in the Krasnogvardeysky District Court of St. Petersburg in September of this year, as previously reported. A preliminary court hearing was recently held, during which Roskomnadzor presented its objections. Copies of the hearing protocol and Roskomnadzor’s arguments are also available to Roskomsvoboda.
Roskomnadzor maintains that YouTube is owned by the foreign company Google, and that current legislation does not require website owners to ensure the uninterrupted operation of their information resources. Therefore, Roskomnadzor argues, there is no basis for the agency to monitor Google’s compliance with information dissemination requirements in connection with the reduced speed of data exchange with YouTube in Russia.
Ultimately, Roskomnadzor advised the user to direct their complaints to the American video platform itself and asked the court to dismiss the plaintiff’s claims. The next court hearing in this case is scheduled for November of this year.
Based on the official responses provided, Roskomnadzor continues to hold Google responsible for the disruptions to YouTube’s operation in Russia.