Widespread YouTube Glitches Amid Russian Criticism

Russian internet monitoring services reported thousands of YouTube glitches on Thursday, amid rising criticism from Russian authorities. Users faced access issues, often needing VPNs, and saw slower download speeds, which Russian lawmakers blamed on Google's YouTube. Reuters reporters also confirmed access issues in Russia.

Russian internet monitoring services reported thousands of glitches in the availability of the video hosting site YouTube on Thursday, amid escalating criticism from the Russian authorities. Users stated that access to YouTube was only possible through virtual private networks (VPNs).

'YouTube is not working,' an anonymous user commented on the site. Reuters reporters confirmed that they were unable to access YouTube in Russia, although some mobile devices retained access.

In recent weeks, YouTube download speeds have slowed significantly. Russian lawmakers blamed this on Google's YouTube, a claim disputed by the company.