Russian Court Orders YouTube Blocked

from the this-is-becoming-all-too-common dept

Fri, Jul 30th 2010 1:50pm — Mike Masnick

Over the years, we've seen various countries order YouTube totally blocked for one reason or another. Turkey and Pakistan, for example, have both banned YouTube at various times. And now we can apparently add Russia to the list. Vic points us to news of a ruling in a Russian court ordering an ISP to block access to YouTube (Google translation of the original), along with four online libraries. Why the total block? Apparently, YouTube was hosting a video called "Russia for Russians," which is problematic for whatever reason. What isn't explained is why one problematic video should lead to all of YouTube being blocked, but... those kinds of things are never clearly explained by courts making these kinds of rulings.

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Filed Under: block, russia, youtube
Companies: youtube

22 Comments

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crade (profile), 30 Jul 2010 @ 1:43pm

"In terms of its denseness verdict of Judge Eisenberg is typical [...]"

Gotta love translation apps!
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fogbugzd (profile), 30 Jul 2010 @ 2:07pm

Obvious reason
The reason for blocking the whole YouTube.com domain is obvious. The judge wanted to draw maximum attention to the video. By blocking the entire site people log on and see that youtube is gone. They ask around at work and find out that youtube is blocked because of one particularly interesting video. They also get the url of one of a dozen other sites that are hosting copies of the video.
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Richard, 30 Jul 2010 @ 2:10pm

From: Russia ~ with love
Ok, so I need to know why the video was so problematic. I mean, the idea that all Russians are now banned from seeing anything on youtube is preposterous. Besides, Russians are master hackers by the time the leave kindergarten?
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Jul 2010 @ 2:24pm

Putin will not be happy as he was using Youtube to post propaganda there.
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Andrew F (profile), 30 Jul 2010 @ 2:49pm

Russia for Russians
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia_for_Russians

Apparently, it's a nationalist slogan.
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Russian Guy, 30 Jul 2010 @ 3:44pm

It is easy to jump to conclusions
Ya, I am russian guy so may be my ideas are biased but still listen to me.

This 'Russia for Russians' movement is very much equivelant to a nazi or a skinhead type of organization. they promote hate, prejudice, and violence against non russians, especially jews and muslims.

I browse youtube all the time but i never see a pro nazi or skinhead video promoting hate and violence up for more then a few hours. So why is it ok to promote the same type of movement if it has no relation to americans??
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nonanonymous, 30 Jul 2010 @ 4:15pm

Okay, may be check what's going before posting?
Mike, I typically don't care about some sloppy postings that happen, but seriously, you basically know nothing of the story and you are posting it.

So lets go with basics:

1. A single judge ordered a single regional ISP to stop providing access to Youtube along with 4 other social networking sites.

2. The reason for blocking Youtube was availability of videos that have been deemed hate speech in March of this year. The videos are posted by Russian neo-nazi groups

3. Other sites are to be blocked due to availability of "Main Kampf"

4. The far more important take away which you COMPLETELY missed here is that there are law amendments in the works right now that will allow government law enforcement agencies to block sites deemed to be pushing hate speech within three days with a court permission. There were also other amendments proposed previously of the same nature, but they have not gone through.

5. There is already rather harsh criticism within Russian digital media representatives

So you had many interesting parts to this story and you just missed them all. Yeah, the decision is dumb, but so is posting about it without understanding more. Aren't you connected to Silicon Valley where Russians just about grow on trees?
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interval (profile), 30 Jul 2010 @ 4:34pm

Okay, whatever
nonanonymous, you can explain it as slowly as you want, it still sounds stupid. Letting your government decide what's best for you is sheer stupidity. That should be YOUR takeaway from this article. Same for you Russian Dude.
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nonanonymous, 30 Jul 2010 @ 4:47pm

Re: Okay, whatever
I think even if I use a 2x4 and Morse code on your face, you would still not understand. You obviously did not read my full post since you would know that I qualified the decision as dumb, same as you. And you most certainly missed the part that the decision itself pales in comparison to what the government is trying to pull off on a national scale.

Now go get your Adderall prescription filled so you can finish reading a post past the first sentence.
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Brian (profile), 30 Jul 2010 @ 5:07pm

Re: From: Russia ~ with love
You must be thinking of the olden times. To even get INTO Kindergarten, Russian children have to be able to hack into at least three highly encrypted databases in under 25 minutes while blindfolded and riding a bear
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The Groove Tiger (profile), 30 Jul 2010 @ 5:50pm

Re: It is easy to jump to conclusions
So what you are saying is that someone posting a Russia for Russians video is equivalent to YouTube actively promoting Russian skinheads and therefore must be blocked entirely?
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blackturtle.us, 30 Jul 2010 @ 7:17pm

Kremlin on YouTube
The Kremlin has a YouTube channel! Just tack a slash and kremlin after the basic YouTube URL and see for youself! At this moment a speech by Medvedev is autoplaying!
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Phillip Vector (profile), 30 Jul 2010 @ 9:46pm

Re: Obvious reason
To the Streisand Mobile!
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Kirion, 30 Jul 2010 @ 11:13pm

Re: Okay, may be check what's going before posting?
As I'm from Russia too, I'd want to add more clarifications.

YouTube is not banned in Russia anywhere. They simply can't enforce this ruling, and also ISP in question had appealed ruling. And I'm 100% sure that ruling will be overturned: It was hilariously bad. Basically judge copypasted text from another ruling and even forgot to change names of companies. There were some factual and grammar errors also.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Jul 2010 @ 11:52pm

Re: Re: Okay, whatever
So... Mike is stupid for calling it stupid, yet you're somehow different? And it's 'Mein Kampf'. At least spell the shit right.
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nonanymous, 31 Jul 2010 @ 10:59am

Re: Re: Re: Okay, whatever
Rather typical, you can't understand what's going, so you turn into a spelling Nazi. Yep, that pun is for you, enjoy.

Since you didn't read the post past your favorite book's name misspelling, may be you should go back and see that Mike is getting a grilling for missing out on so many parts of the story that makes it way more interesting, not because he disagrees with the decision.
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Mike Masnick (profile), 31 Jul 2010 @ 5:48pm

Re: Okay, may be check what's going before posting?
Hi, nonanonymous,

First off, thanks for adding more context to the story. That's very useful. In fact that's exactly what we hope people do here. I never claim to have the full story and always assume that the community will know more than I do, so I fully expect people to add useful and interesting commentary here. So I am not quite sure why you're so angry. I appreciate the added context but don't get the need you felt to insult me as well for kicking off the discussion in a manner differently than you would have.
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nonanymous, 31 Jul 2010 @ 8:22pm

Re: Re: Okay, may be check what's going before posting?
Don't worry, I still love you. May be it was just Friday, but even google translate could fish out more sub-topics for you to talk about yet all you covered was the first paragraph, literally. Besides, your typical trolls were not here, so someone has to take the power vacuum created.
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Pickle Monger (profile), 2 Aug 2010 @ 7:17am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Okay, whatever
Wow! It's like I'm back in Moscow. I feel so warm and fuzzy....
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Brendan (profile), 11 Aug 2010 @ 3:36pm

Re: Re: Obvious reason
Which song should be playing in my head while I picture this?
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Mike, 27 Jan 2011 @ 4:18am

eh no matter who you cant defeat us freedom loving net lurkers! just use tubemirror.com and happiness will be yours =D
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sprearson81 (profile), 8 Jun 2012 @ 6:42pm

Blocked and locked like it should be,
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