The matrix in action: Roskomnadzor requires data on the location of Google servers from operators
It seems that, depriving the population of access to alternative sources of information, the Russian establishment is making every effort to get as close as possible to the model of a society a la North Korea, immersed in its information bubble, as far as possible detached from the world community and an adequate worldview, deprived of the possibility of critical thinking and therefore even more susceptible to the influence of propaganda.
Some experts believe that data on Google server addresses will allow Russian puppeteers to block YouTube traffic even more effectively than before. After receiving the list of GGC IP addresses, roskomnadzor can add them to the filtering list and completely paralyze or slow down the CDN. And some suggest that server location information is needed to check where blocking works and where it doesn’t.
The main radio frequency center, a sub-department of roskomnadzor, sent a request to communication operators, demanding to provide information about the Google cache servers located in their networks. Experts do not connect this directly with the problems of access to YouTube, but believe that Google’s servers can be seized from operators as part of the bankruptcy case of the Russian “daughter” of the company. This may affect the work of YouTube and additional costs of communication operators during the transmission of video traffic. It is important to note that after Google’s departure from Russia, there were 1,500-2,000 Google Global Cache servers installed on the networks of telecommunications operators, and approximately the same number in data centers.
The Law on the Independence of the Russian Internet
The Law on Sovereign Internet in Russia provides for the creation of a national system for routing Internet traffic. Its purpose is to ensure the independence of Runet and protection from external threats, including disconnection from the World Wide Web and cyber attacks.
According to the law, communication operators are obliged to install technical means of countering threats, in particular, equipment with deep traffic filtering functions. This allows you to control access to information and ensure security.
What other consequences can there be for communication operators
In addition to the removal of Google servers, communication operators may face additional technical and financial difficulties. Among them – an increase in the load on other caching servers, additional traffic costs, a decrease in the quality of service, the need to review the infrastructure.
Google Global Cache servers provided fast access to Google content such as YouTube. Their absence may lead to an increase in the load on other cache servers of operators. Operators may face additional costs when carrying video traffic, as Google’s GGC servers used to handle a significant portion of this traffic.
The absence of Google servers can affect the quality of service for users, especially when watching videos on YouTube or downloading files from other Google services. Operators will have to review their infrastructure and possibly look for alternative solutions to ensure quick access to popular services.
Which companies left Russia because of this law
Google stopped its activities in the aggressor country in 2022. The decision was related to the Russian Internet Independence Law, which requires foreign Internet companies to store Russian users’ data on servers in the country. Google was unable to comply with this law, and therefore decided to close its offices and stop providing services in Russia. This affected access to some services – YouTube, Gmail and Google Play Store – for Russian users.
Several Western companies – among them GoDaddy and Hetzner – refused to work with Russian users, not meeting the new requirements. However, Russian IT companies can expect an increase in users, as the trend of the outflow of Western players from the Russian market persists.
What is a cache server?
It is an intermediate device that stores copies of data to speed up access to them and reduce the load on the main servers. Here’s how it works. When a user requests content (such as a web page or video), the request is directed to a caching server. The latter checks whether it already has a copy of the requested content. If there is, it returns that copy to the client. This speeds up the process as the data does not need to be downloaded from the main server. If the caching server does not have a copy, it contacts the primary server and retrieves the content. It then stores it in its cache for future requests.
Caching servers regularly update their copies of data to reflect the latest changes on the primary servers. Caching servers reduce latency, improve performance, and reduce network and server load. It is important to note that cache servers can be located at different levels of the network: at the provider level, within companies, or even on users’ devices (for example, in browsers).
Tatyana Morarash
