Russia's President Vladimir Putin speaks during his annual end-of-year press conference and phone-in, in Moscow, Russia December 19, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday accused Alphabet's Google of being a tool used by the U.S. government to score political points and blamed YouTube for slowing speeds on the video hosting platform in Russia.
Google, along with other foreign tech firms, has been under pressure in Russia for several years over the content it distributes, but while Moscow has blocked social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, it appears reluctant to ban YouTube, used by around 50 million Russians every day.
