Russia’s Ukraine Invasion Pushing It Towards Internet Isolation; Facebook, Twitter Blocked

Russia previously banned Facebook and Twitter, which was later followed by a ban on Instagram. Russian influencers also posted emotional videos, urging followers to move to platforms that are still functional in the country. Even online video games such as Minecraft are no longer available for users. These actions have turned the country into a walled-off digital state, something similar to China which has tight control over the internet and censors foreign websites.

Stifling Dissent By Banning Media

Russia's move could prevent millions of citizens from accessing accurate information and online platforms to put forward their opinions. As the country tries to suppress dissent and push its narrative over its invasion of Ukraine, digital and human rights activists are concerned about what the future holds for the Russian internet.

Russia censoring dissent defeats the belief that the internet is a tool for democracy that would encourage authoritarian nations to open. Besides, the country also passed a law that makes it a crime to publish information that the government has tagged as "fake." Digital cutoff attempts have been made previously as well by Russian authorities to tame the free-flowing internet.

Citizens Opting For VPNs And Dark Web

As Russian citizens continue to be pushed into digital isolation, some have tried escaping the government's efforts by using Virtual Private Networks (VPN). These networks enable people to stay connected to the internet with the help of a remote server that can bypass a country's online restrictions.

The demand for VPNs skyrocketed amid Russia's attack on Ukraine. As the country continues to limit access to the web, some platforms are making efforts to build workarounds to censorship of information.

The New York Times started a Telegram channel, where updates about the Ukraine invasion were posted. Besides, Twitter launched a version of its service on the Tor browser that allows anonymous surfing, reports Ars Technica.

Russia On The Brink Of Global Internet Cutoff

The Russian authorities have halted 384 domains that were directly or indirectly related to its war on Ukraine since the invasion began, as per the tracking firm Top10VPN. These websites include big names such as BBC News, Radio Free Liberty, and Deutsche Welle. The report also lists 203 new domains that have been blocked in Russia.

Despite the surge in VPN downloads, people who aren't aware of these services miss out on them. Besides, many are skeptical about paying money to use these services, as not all VPNs are free of cost. Human rights organizations are concerned that the chances of Russian citizens being completely cut off from the global internet are at an all-time high.

The Ukrainian government has also requested internet service providers to provide access in Russia. The country officials have urged ICANN, the group that looks after internet domains, to suspend the Russian internet domain, but their requests are yet to be fulfilled.