As reported by Dev.ua with reference to the Russian Telegram channel Zatelecom, invitations were sent to Rostelecom employees to test the service, as stated in the department’s published letter.

how will it work

During the testing phase, a dedicated website ytonline.ru was deployed to provide filtered YouTube content. This test is said to be a preliminary assessment of a potential censorship filter for YouTube.

Until recently, the site ytonline.ru was open to all Russian users, which allowed unlimited access to YouTube videos. However, access to the site has now stopped suddenly and users encounter an error message when trying to access the site.

It seems that direct access to YouTube is expected to be blocked in the near future, while an alternative option to view YouTube content through the Rostelecom portal will remain available. This portal is designed to improve and filter the displayed content and is perhaps an intermediate solution between full access and total censorship.

A VPN won’t help

One of the consequences of this potential change is that many people realize that they cannot circumvent restrictions using virtual private networks (VPNs). In recent weeks, Russia’s federal media watchdog, Roskomnadzor, has stepped up its efforts to disrupt VPN services, leading to blackouts since August 7. The regulatory body explained its actions out of concerns over the protection of personal data of Russian citizens.

Current events point to a deliberate move to strengthen control over online content in Russia. The potential implementation of a content filter could signal significant changes in the way citizens of the offending country access and interact with digital media platforms.