Russia wages online battle against TikTok and YouTube

Moscow: “I’m an American!” a young Russian under the username Neurolera exclaims in English on the popular video-sharing app TikTok as she explains how to impersonate a tourist to avoid arrest at a street demonstration. Her video — published ahead of rallies planned in support of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny — has been viewed more than 500,000 times while videos demanding Navalny’s release garnered hundreds of millions of views on the platform. In Russia, where state-controlled media outlets co-exist in stark contrast with online platforms popular among the opposition, authorities have ramped up efforts to contain and even replace sites that are seen as a threat. YouTube has become the primary source of news for many young Russians. The videos of web star Yuri Dud, known for his interviews with celebrities, or anti-graft campaigner Navalny are enjoying more and more success. Soon after Navalny’s arrest, his team published a two-hour investigation into a lavish palace on the Black Sea allegedly belonging to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The video has been viewed more than 60 million times on YouTube since its publication on Tuesday. Russian authorities have in recent years started tightening the “Runet” (Russian segment of the Internet) in…
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