Roskomnadzor is looking for an alternative to YouTube. Gazprom-Media bought Rutube

In Roskomnadzor they said that Russia entered the five countries with the least dependence on foreign Internet platforms, but they noted that YouTube alternatives were not yet.

The department announced statistics based on its own study, according to which 70% of Russian Internet users, or 57% of the country's population, use American video hosting. “Due to the lack of a direct competitor in Russia, YouTube is still indispensable,” they admitted in Roskomnadzor, announcing the need to appear a “sought-after analogue”, which will reduce the dependence of Russians on a foreign platform.

At the same time, it became known that the Gazprom-Media holding acquired a hundred percent of the shares of Russian video hosting Rutube. Earlier, the head of the holding and the former head of Roskomnadzor, Alexander Zharov, announced work on Rutube modernization in order to make the site "as comfortable" as the American YouTube platform.

The MBH Media publication notes that in November Roskomnadzor, accusing YouTube of censorship, turned to leading Russian Internet companies calling for helping domestic video hosting for internal use.

At the same time, the State Duma, and then the Federation Council, approved a law that gives Roskomnadzor the right to block foreign Internet resources, including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, if they allow censorship regarding the materials of the Russian media. The explanatory note to the bill said that discrimination against American sites on the Internet was subjected, in particular, the Russia Today and RIA Novosti TV channel.