Russia Begins Throttling and Blocking YouTube

On July 12, 2024, Russian telecommunications regulator Roskomnadzor began applying deep packet inspection (DPI)-based throttling to YouTube traffic, reducing connection speeds to near-unusable levels for Russia’s estimated 90+ million YouTube users. Meduza broke the story and it was widely covered by international press.

The throttling was framed as a response to YouTube’s continued hosting of content Russia deems objectionable and its refusal to pay fines or comply with Russian censorship orders. DPI-based throttling at the scale of YouTube, a platform with 90+ million Russian users, marked a step up in Russia’s internet restriction capabilities and signaled a potential path toward full blocking.