Russia blocks online services 'for security reasons': Centre for Countering Disinformation reveals real motive
Photo: man with a phone near the Kremlin in Moscow (Getty Images)
Over the past week, four popular online services have been blocked in Russia, according to the Centre for Countering Disinformation (CCD) of the National Security and Defence Council.
Over the past six days, Roskomnadzor has blocked WhatsApp, Roblox, FaceTime and Snapchat. The official pretext for the bans was a supposed "security threat."
At the same time, Russia continues cracking down on censorship-circumvention tools: VPN protocols that still allowed Russians to access alternative sources of information are also being targeted, the CCD reports.
"The Russian authorities have intensified efforts to build a 'sovereign internet,' where the state controls everything - messengers, social networks, gaming platforms and private communication channels," the Centre stated.
CCD analysts are convinced that under the guise of "countering terrorism," Russia is effectively isolating its information space.
"This is yet another confirmation that today’s Russia is a totalitarian state in which the authorities regulate every aspect of citizens’ lives - what they read, whom they communicate with and what information they can access," the CCD noted.
Roskomnadzor's official version
Roskomnadzor earlier claimed it had taken measures to block access to Snapchat in Russia, alleging that the platform was used for "organising and carrying out terrorist attacks" as well as recruiting perpetrators.
The agency asserts that Snapchat was supposedly used not only to coordinate and recruit participants for terrorist activity but also for fraud and "other crimes against citizens."
Russia blocked the game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, popular among Ukrainian gamers.
Russia’s acceleration of internet controls intensified after 2022, when the government began widely restricting access to social networks. Authorities routinely cite "national security" when introducing such bans.
