The Media and Communications Union (MKS) denied rumors that YouTube was added to the regulatory authority’s list, as a service distributing the most diverse content. This was reported by RBC.
As it turned out, the draft law by Saraliev and Lugovoi on limiting foreign ownership of online cinemas did not undergo any expert review by MKS.
However, the mass media announced before that YouTube would leave Russia in case of passing that new draft law. The reasons are evident, i.e. YouTube distributes the most diverse content, both user-generated and professional. There is no separation, which means that the service can easily fall under new sanctions.
At the same time, the Media and Communications Union urged not to hit the panic button.
“There no exists any expertise of the MKS Law Committee with comments and suggestions to the draft law. Services providing user-generated content like YouTube, social networks, and search engines do not fall under the regulation”, as MKS explained.
Accordingly, the service will not be affected, which is not true, for example, for Google Play and iTunes. As it turned out, the services would be bound to ask the Governmental Commission for Control over Foreign Investment for an exception, since MKS virtually confirmed their direct relevance to the new draft law. New sanctions also affect Apple TV. MKS assured no exceptions for the above services.
In fact, a number of resources are put in a direct dilemma, whether to become fully localized in Russia, or to abandon this country.
Let us remark that a number of restrictions also affect the portals like “Afisha.Mail.ru” and “Yandex.Video” that broadcast various video content directly in the “search results”.
