Russia is gradually splintering its internet from the rest of the world through piecemeal mobile internet blackouts and increased restrictions on messaging apps like Telegram, according to activists and experts. The effort, likened to Iran's internet shutdowns but more opaque, has caused widespread disruption to daily life, with users unable to access banking services or make phone calls during recent blackouts in Moscow's city centre.
Telegram, a messaging app essential for most Russians, is increasingly blocked, with data from the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) showing interference across more than 500 networks since 20 March. Analysts at Amnezia VPN report access problems in over a dozen regions, including Moscow and St Petersburg, and say censors are blocking more crudely and on a larger scale than before.
Russian authorities have suggested they may completely block Telegram from early April, with the head of Rostelecom stating that WhatsApp is 'dead' and Telegram will follow. Both may be replaced by a government-controlled domestic messaging service called Max. Mobile networks have also been shut down across large areas for at least a year, with access limited to a whitelist of pre-approved sites.
Russian retailers report increased sales of pagers, paper maps, and mobile phones as people adapt to the restrictions. Analysts say earlier blackouts were tests, and that censors are now rolling out updates as soon as they are ready, with Roskomnazdor testing how the economy functions under strict restrictions. Shutdowns in Moscow are expected to become routine, and home networks may also be targeted soon.
