The YouTube and WhatsApp domains are now inaccessible in Russia both in browsers and in mobile phone applications. What does this blockade entail and can it be bypassed?
Roskomnadzor (the service that controls communications, information technologies and mass communications in Russia - ed.) has removed the YouTube domain from DNS servers and the site is now inaccessible. At the same time, a new campaign to block Telegram is underway in Russia. Experts say that this is how Roskomnadzor is moving to decisive action: completely blocking services that are not under its control.
An anonymous survey among the audience of DW in Russian showed that 46 percent of users in Russia continue to use YouTube via VPN, 24 percent said that problems remain even with a VPN turned on, 27% said that they do not live in Russia, and three percent said that they do not use VPN, but have not encountered problems using the service.
Fundamental change in the restriction of access to sites
The disappearance of the YouTube domain and its complete inaccessibility without a VPN was first reported in a Telegram channel. On February 11, this also happened with the WhatsApp domain, which also ceased to exist for Russian users.
Internet censorship expert Mikhail Klimarev notes that "the removal of domains is a very bad sign," and independent telecommunications expert Alexei Uchakin told the RBC news site that Roskomnadzor's equipment for gradual slowdowns may no longer be sufficient, which is why the regulator has decided to switch to a more rigid and reliable method of blocking in order to free up resources for the campaign against Telegram. However, this cannot be confirmed at the moment, as there are no official explanations from Roskomnadzor.
A new type of blocking of sites in Russia
According to information from Telegram, as of February 11, 13 sites were removed from the National Domain Name System (DNS servers), including Deutsche Welle (DW), BBC, Facebook, Instagram, Svoboda, etc., although access to them should be preserved by law.
Previously, Roskomnadzor used other methods of restricting access, most notably DPI (Deep Packet Inspection) technology, which allows Internet traffic to be analyzed and filtered. Using this technology, the authorities artificially slowed down the speed of data transmission, which is why, for example, videos for Russian users on YouTube loaded slowly or did not load at all. But the service remained technically accessible and worked intermittently.
What do YouTube users say?
YouTube users told DW that the quality of access had deteriorated - even with the use of a VPN there were delays, and the connection was very unstable.
On social networks in Russia, users are massively sharing tips on how to bypass the blockade - for example, by changing the DNS server, i.e. using other public addresses. However, some users fear that if they change their settings, the authorities may register their attempts to circumvent censorship and "search for prohibited content", which in Russia is punishable by a fine of up to 5,000 rubles (55 euros). Formally, YouTube is not recognized as an "undesirable organization" in Russia, but the Russian authorities regularly accuse the platform of distributing banned information.
What should ordinary users do?
The Russian authorities may continue to combine different blocking methods in the future, making access to services increasingly difficult, with the easiest way to overcome bans remaining the use of VPNs. However, the human rights organization “Roskomsvoboda” recommends that before choosing a VPN, one should study the rating of providers of this type of service.
“It looks very real”: the Russian fake news machine
According to Internet censorship expert Klimarev, using a reliable VPN remains the most effective means of connecting to the outside world. At the same time, he warns that the Russian authorities can also spoof IT addresses: “And you will end up not where you wanted”. In this case, the user may not reach the real site, but a fake copy of it, created to steal passwords and bank details.
Will the Internet blockades in Russia continue?
Experts agree that the decision to completely block YouTube and WhatsApp was made against the backdrop of the beginning of a new stage of pressure on Telegram and the likely use of significant technical resources by Roskomnadzor. Earlier, the service officially confirmed the restrictions on the messenger. Formally, the regulator explained these measures by “violation of Russian legislation” and “threat to the security of citizens”. In parallel, administrative protocols are being considered against Telegram in a Moscow court for refusing to remove prohibited content and “failure to fulfill the obligations of the owner of the social network”. It is already known that the messenger has been sanctioned with almost 11 million rubles (120,000 euros).
In the future, this will lead to the formation of a special segment of the Internet in Russia, which will increasingly coincide with the global network, Klimarev writes. “At some point, there will be a completely different Internet in Russia, different from the global one. And it will not be trusted at all."