Russian authorities are set to reduce YouTube speed, impacting video streaming. Read about the reasons behind this decision.

According to Aleksandr Khinshtein, the head of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, YouTube’s desktop browsing speed in Russia is likely to decrease by approximately 40% before this week concludes. In addition, it may plummet as much as 70% during next week.

On Thursday, Khinshtein posted on Telegram to highlight that the action was a reaction to YouTube’s anti-Russia stance. According to him, Russian public figures such as bloggers, journalists and artists have their channels removed by YouTube in an attempt to conform with Western ideas for which they reject against.

According to the lawmaker, YouTube’s “degradation” is essential and isn’t aimed at Russian users. Rather, it’s directed towards a foreign administration that believes they can defy our laws with impunity.

The lawmaker stated that YouTube will continue to work normally on mobile devices, and the company holds its future in Russia. The slowing down of service was scheduled for summertime – a time when many people prefer using their phones over computers while on vacation.

Khinshtein wrote that the platform’s administration should expect negative consequences if it does not alter its policy and comply with our laws.

Technical issues related to parent company Google’s servers in the country have caused inconvenience for YouTube users, leading them to complain about the popular video-hosting service.

After the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict, the tech giant minimized its presence in Russia which resulted in Rostelecom – Russia’s biggest internet service provider stating that they have not updated their hardware for more than two years.

According to Khinshtein, Rostelecom has already observed a decline in the uploading of videos on YouTube this week.

According to the Russian lawmaker, alternative video-hosting platforms like RuTube and VK Video are currently experiencing significant development.