Putin Claims Google is a Political Tool of the U.S. Government

International Desk

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Google of being a political tool for the U.S. government. In a statement made Thursday, Putin also blamed YouTube for intentionally slowing down its service in Russia.

Western tech giants, including Google, have faced significant pressure in Russia for years over content management. While platforms like Twitter (now X), Facebook, and Instagram have been banned in Russia, YouTube remains accessible due to its widespread usage among Russian citizens—around 50 million people use it daily.

However, many critics believe that Russian authorities have deliberately disrupted YouTube’s connectivity to prevent citizens from accessing Western content critical of Putin and his government. The Russian authorities, on the other hand, deny these allegations, attributing the issues to Google’s failure to update its tools.

Putin reaffirmed his government’s stance, stating that the companies should comply with Russian laws and avoid using the internet for fraudulent activities. He further emphasized that the internet should not be misused to achieve the political goals of the U.S. government.

When Reuters reached out for a comment, Google declined to respond immediately. In August, YouTube acknowledged that Russian users were experiencing problems but claimed these were not caused by any deliberate action on YouTube’s part, nor were they due to technical failures from their side.

Putin also pointed to the increasing competition in the content hosting sector, citing Telegram, founded by Russian entrepreneur Pavel Durov, and VK Video, a platform operated by the state-controlled company VK. However, none of these platforms have been able to challenge YouTube’s dominance in video hosting.

Regarding content hosting, Moscow highlighted that since the war in Ukraine began, YouTube has blocked over 1,000 channels, including those that broadcast news supported by the Russian government. The Kremlin has expressed hope that strict legal action against Google will force the company to change its policies.