Digital rights group Access Now, alongside over 20 Russian and international civil society organizations, sent an open letter on Tuesday to YouTube and its parent company Google calling on them to cease aiding the Kremlin in censoring independent media and human rights organizations in Russia. The letter, entitled “Open letter to YouTube and Google: Stop helping Roskomnadzor censor Runet,” demands that YouTube and Google assess all blocking orders against international human rights standards and challenge any that unduly restrict access to protected expression.
YouTube has blocked several anti-war videos on military service evasion since February 2024 at the request of Russian authorities. A Blocking notice was given to the channel belonging to the human rights organization Roskomsvoboda as well as to the independent Russian TV channel TV Rain. Human rights channel Kak Teper? (What Now?), from the OVD-info human rights project, was also threatened with blockage. At least three of the previously censored videos were unblocked by YouTube, following significant media outrage by Russian independent outlets, on May 21, 2024. However, these videos remain inaccessible through YouTube’s search engine within Russia.
There has been ongoing tension between tech companies and the Russian government in the last few years. Towards the end of 2021, Google and Meta were fined for alleged violations of Russian law. Following significant penalties and a hostile environment, Google declared the bankruptcy of its Russian subsidiary in 2022, halting all monetization and advertising services in the country. Despite these setbacks, YouTube remains a crucial platform for independent Russian publishers, media, bloggers and public organizations. According to the letter, it offers a rare avenue for free expression in a heavily censored environment.
The open letter points to the European Court of Human Rights, which has repeatedly found Russian legal norms restricting information access to be vague and contradictory to the European Convention on Human Rights. This could be observed in cases Kablis v. Russia”, Engels v. Russia and Flavus, Kharitonov, Bulgakov v. Russia. Additionally, the UN Human Rights Committee, in its 2022 observations, criticized Russia’s extensive blocking of internet resources and urged the repeal of laws that excessively restrict freedom of expression.
Signatories of the letter include prominent organizations like Access Now, Roskomsvoboda, OVD-Info and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), among others.
