Putin accused Google of being a tool for US political gain

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Alphabet Inc's Google of being a tool used by the US government for political gain, blaming the company for the slowing of YouTube video platforms in Russia.

On Thursday, Putin reiterated Moscow's position that Google was causing problems for itself by reducing its investment in Russia and the supply of related equipment.

"YouTube and Google must abide by our laws, refrain from any form of deception on the Internet, and especially not misuse the Internet to achieve political goals."

Google and other foreign technology companies have faced pressure in Russia for years. Russia has blocked social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, but YouTube has not been banned and is currently used by about 50 million Russians every day.

Critics argue that YouTube is being deliberately disrupted by Russian authorities to prevent Russians from viewing content critical of Putin and his government.

Russia denied the allegations, saying the main problem was Google's failure to upgrade the equipment. However, this accusation has been refuted by Google and technology experts.

In August this year, YouTube noticed that some Russian users were unable to access YouTube, but stressed that it was not a technical issue with the site.

Since the war broke out, YouTube has blocked more than 1,000 channels and more than 5.5 million videos deemed unacceptable by Russia.