OREANDA-NEWS  Roskomnadzor (RCN) has threatened Google-owned YouTube video hosting with turnover fines for blocking Russian channels, the number of which has already exceeded 80 units this year compared to only 27 a year earlier.

"The number of domestic resources blocked by the video hosting has increased this year. So, since the beginning of 2024, the service has restricted access to 83 Russian Internet pages, in 2023 - to 27 Internet pages, in 2022 - to 63 Internet pages, in 2021 - to 21 Internet pages, in 2020 - to 13 Internet pages," the ministry said the department.

According to the RCN, "the YouTube service, owned by the American company Google LLC, massively blocks the channels of Russian state media, pages of famous Russian writers and artists who speak out in support of the Russian Federation and the actions of the authorities."

According to the RCN, "restrictive measures fundamentally violate the key principles of the free dissemination of information and unhindered access to it." "Such actions of the video hosting are unacceptable: This is an act of censorship," the ministry stressed.

The RCN recalled that "the legislation of the Russian Federation provides for liability for the owners of Internet resources ignoring warnings about violations of the rights of Russians on the Web, including censorship of Russian media - the fine is from 5 to 10% of the total revenue of the company for the previous year, but not less than 4 million rubles."

"For repeated violations, the amount of the fine is from 10 to 20% of the total amount of the company's revenue for the previous year, but not less than 8 million rubles," the message says.

The RCN clarified that among the channels that have been sanctioned by YouTube since 2020 are Solovyov LIVE, Crimea 24, RT, RBC, NTV, the official channel of the Federation Council. The video hosting also restricted access to the accounts of musical performers Shaman, Polina Gagarina, Oleg Gazmanov, Grigory Leps, Yulia Chicherina, and also blocked the channel of writer Zakhar Prilepin, the resource of Olympic champion in gymnastics Nikita Nagorny, channels of football clubs CSKA and Akhmat, etc.