Russian video hoster RuTube removed from App Store

YouTube logo. Stock Photo: Getty Images

RuTube, a video hosting service promoted by Russian authorities as a replacement for YouTube, has disappeared from the App Store.

Source: Russian service of Radio Liberty

Details: RuTube has confirmed that their app has been removed from the App Store.

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“The reason for this was the sanctions imposed by the US company (i.e. the App Store), which made it difficult for users to access our services via the mobile application,” the video hosting service said in a statement.

Background:

• Previously, Russian authorities had ordered all major telecommunications operators in the country to limit the speed of video playback on YouTube to 128 kilobits per second.
• On August 8, Russian YouTube users began complaining about the complete shutdown of the video hosting service.
• The Kremlin-controlled company VK has begun developing a new “national messenger” to replace the WhatsApp app, which Russian authorities may block this fall.
• Russian users of the messenger app Signal had problems with the service. The Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Communications and Information Technology (Roskomnadzor) then announced that access to Signal had been restricted in Russia. The authority cited “violations of the legislation on combating terrorism and extremism” as the reason for the decision.

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