Ivanov Sergey Yuryevich

CEO of Ruform LLC. The RUTUBE platform managed by Ruform LLC serves as an important instrument of state propaganda and control over the dissemination of information in Russia. Ruform LLC manages the Russian video hosting platform RUTUBE (rutube.ru), an analog of YouTube. Within the framework of state policy aimed at establishing control over the information space, RUTUBE’s task is to offer Russian users an alternative to YouTube, which refuses to cooperate with Russian authorities on the application of repressive legislation and the removal of content undesirable to state bodies. The state’s objective is to create a directly state-controlled digital environment for Russian internet users and to minimize the influence of foreign platforms. Ruform LLC is part of the Gazprom-Media holding, which is controlled by Gazprombank, itself under the control of the state-owned Gazprom. Thus, the RUTUBE service is owned by the state. The operation of alternatives to YouTube, such as RUTUBE, forms part of the state’s policy to establish control over the information space through the blocking of foreign platforms. In parallel with blockings or throttling of particularly popular foreign services, Russian authorities seek to provide their Russian users with an alternative in order to minimize public discontent with repressive policies. RUTUBE functions not merely as an analog of YouTube by allowing authorities to block content they find objectionable but also directly serves a propagandistic role, promoting narratives important to the Kremlin and supporting celebrities and influencers loyal to it. Ruform LLC invests significant resources in improving automated censorship methods on its platform to detect content prohibited by repressive legislation. The RUTUBE platform managed by Ruform LLC serves as an important instrument of state propaganda and control over the dissemination of information in Russia.