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Since invading Ukraine, the Kremlin has made it increasingly challenging for Russians to access foreign websites, social media platforms and, more broadly, information that contradicts its narratives.
This clampdown is set to escalate as lawmakers have adopted new legislation introducing fines for searching for “extremist” content online and advertising VPNs. Experts warn that the amendments mark one of the most significant assaults on digital freedom in modern Russian history.
Russian authorities are also mulling the replacement of WhatsApp with a domestic app called Max.
The proposals come as mobile internet outages blamed on Ukrainian drone threats have plagued much of the country.
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On Tuesday, the State Duma approved in their third and final reading amendments that introduce fines for the intentional search and access of “extremist” materials online, including through VPN services. The proposed changes also penalize advertising VPNs.
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At least 40 Russian regions have experienced mobile internet outages in recent weeks as Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian regions have become increasingly frequent, according to the independent media outlet Govorit NeMoskva.
While the most widespread disruptions took place during Victory Day in May and Russia Day in June, people also reported internet problems on regular days.
Some experts argue the shutdowns are not just about countering drones, but may also serve as testing tools designed to advance the “sovereignization” of Russia’s internet.
Dmitry Zair-Bek, head of the human rights group Perviy Otdel, said this could explain the mobile internet shutdown in the Sverdlovsk region, which has not come under Ukrainian attack at all.
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In other news, The Moscow Times reports that a Fund Linked to Putin’s Daughter Invests in Tech Firm as Kremlin Targets Foreign Platforms
A technology fund connected to President Vladimir Putin’s alleged daughter has acquired a stake in a Russian company developing alternatives to Western videoconferencing platforms amid a Kremlin push to curb foreign digital services operating in the country.
IVA Technologies, which markets its communications software as a Russian substitute for Microsoft Teams and Zoom, announced this week that the Technology Investment Fund, co-founded by Katerina Tikhonova, widely believed to be Putin’s daughter, has purchased a 1% stake in the company.
The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The Technology Investment Fund, which focuses on seed investments in Russian tech startups, was launched by Tikhonova and her deputy, Natalia Popova.
Tikhonova, a former acrobatic dancer, heads the state-linked scientific development foundation InnoPraktika.