X

Russia could block access to YouTube over opposition video

A court has ordered that a 25-minute video be taken down. But this could mean blocking Instagram and YouTube entirely from some internet providers.

Sarah McDermott Senior Sub-Editor
Sarah is CNET's senior copy editor in London. She's often found reading, playing piano or arguing about commas.
Expertise Copy editing, podcasts, baking, board games
Sarah McDermott
screen-shot-2018-02-13-at-14-08-20

A court has called for activist Alexei Navalny's 25-minute video be blocked.

The Russian government has threatened to block YouTube and Instagram over videos and posts relating to Oleg Deripaska, an oligarch who has been linked to Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

A 25-minute video was posted on Thursday by Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny. It sources Instagram videos and social media accounts published by a model and escort who posted videos in 2016 linking Deripaska to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei E. Prikhodko, according to the New York Times

Deripaska won a court injunction ordering the video to be taken down, along with six other videos and 14 Instagram posts. Communications regulator Roskomnadzor added them to its list of prohibited websites and ordered internet providers to block them or face investigation. But since many internet providers don't have the technical capability to block specific URLs, complying with the order would mean removing access to YouTube and Instagram entirely.

Deripaska previously invested in a private equity firm run by former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, who also offered him "private briefings" on the campaign in July 2016. The two have since fallen out, with Deripaska taking out a lawsuit against Manafort in January.

YouTube and Instagram did not immediately respond to a request for comment.