Russian competition watchdog opens case against Google over YouTube curbs

Apr 20, 2021 9:57 AM PHT

Reuters

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Russian competition watchdog opens case against Google over YouTube curbs

YOUTUBE. Silhouettes of laptop and mobile device users are seen next to a screen projection of the YouTube logo in this picture illustration taken March 28, 2018

Dado Ruvic/Reuters

The watchdog says the case concerns YouTube's actions that resulted in the sudden blocking and deletion of some users' accounts, which it says could lead to restricted competition

Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) said on Monday it had initiated proceedings against US tech giant Alphabet Inc’s Google for allegedly abusing its dominant market position in video hosting services.

Google has already come under pressure from the authorities this year for failing to delete what Russia calls banned content. Other western internet companies have also been targeted by Moscow, including Twitter Inc, which has been punitively slowed down.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The FAS said the case concerned Google’s YouTube unit and that the company’s actions had resulted in the sudden blocking and deletion of some users’ accounts, which it said could lead to restricted competition.

The state agency last week initiated proceedings against Yandex, sometimes referred to as “Russia’s Google,” over competition law violations on the company’s search engine, allegations that Yandex has denied. – Rappler.com