Russia has created a YouTube clone. There is a lot of propaganda, but there are no viewers

New Russian video service Platform, a YouTube clone, spreads Kremlin propaganda but fails to attract viewers.

Developed by Rteam, which is owned by RT’s parent company, “Platform” is an exact clone of YouTube with a similar interface and features. The service includes search, main menu with playlists, watch history, video categories, “like” and “dislike” icons, comments, the ability to publish and watch shorts and conduct live broadcasts. The main purpose of creating the “Platform” is to provide an alternative to YouTube, which is not yet banned in Russia, but is likely to be in the near future. However, despite all efforts, the new service could not attract a significant audience. For example, the popular blogger Artemiy Lebedev has only about 450 followers.

Google-owned YouTube has more than 93 million users in Russia. The country’s authorities are preparing for a possible blocking of this platform. The social network VK previously developed a similar service, which did not gain popularity. The “platform” also fakes video views and is filled with pornographic and pirated content. Videos on the Platform adhere to strict Russian laws, banning LGBT content, firearms, but allowing pro-Russian content about the war in Ukraine.

Despite the Kremlin’s attempts to create an alternative to Western platforms, “Platforma” has not been able to attract a significant number of viewers and remains little known even in the Russian Internet space.