Alexey Goreslavsky: Digital Sovereignty Is Not Just About Domestic Content, but Also About Reaching the Right Audience
Next-generation digital sovereignty requires not only domestic platforms and content but also the ability to accurately match content with viewers’ interests, especially those of young audiences, according to the head of the Internet Development Institute.
The II Global Digital Forum will take place from Oct. 8 to 10 at the Mechta venue in Moscow’s Gorky Park, where participants will discuss digital transformation trends, technology solutions and opportunities for international cooperation. Alexey Goreslavsky, CEO of the Internet Development Institute (IRI), told IT Russia how the approach to digital sovereignty is changing and why understanding the interests of young audiences is so important.
– There are only a few countries in the world where national platforms have become the main distribution channel for digital content, including Russia, China, Japan and South Korea. But next-generation digital sovereignty is no longer simply about having our own platforms and producing domestic content. It is not enough to create content and deliver it to viewers – we also need to accurately match it with their interests. This is especially important when developing projects for young audiences, which are a priority for us. According to surveys conducted by IRI this year, first with colleagues from the VCIOM Analytical Center and then with the Movement of the First, 77% of children and teenagers watch online video every day, and most decide for themselves what to watch. Up to age 6, they primarily watch animation; starting at age 7, feature films predominate; and by age 12, series and short-form videos take their place. For us, these are not just statistics but practical guidance when deciding which projects to support: the better we understand viewers, the more precisely we can match content with their interests and the more likely it is that high-quality domestic content will find its audience.
