Russia launching ‘daily internet shutdowns’ as fears grow of crackdown | World | News
Russia is reportedly stepping up efforts to limit digital freedoms behind the guise of national security amid its ongoing war in Ukraine. Regions across the country have been hit with intermittent internet outages for months, ostensibly to counter Ukrainian drone attacks. 57 parts of the country on average reported daily disruptions to mobile phone usage in November, according to the activist group Na Svyazi, with consequences including blocked ATMs, an inability to communicate via messaging apps and disrupted health monitoring.
The phone shutdowns, which so far have not impacted Wi-Fi and Broadband access, have been defended as “absolutely justified and necessary” by the Kremlin but critics have warned that they could usher in a highly restrictive version of the internet. In some areas, a select few government-approved websites are available to citizens during the internet outages, otherwise known as websites and social media platforms on “white lists”.
Marina, who lives in Vladivostock on Russia‘s Pacific coast, told AP News that the “scariest” part of the outages were discovering that just one or two government-sanctioned sites were functioning.
“For me, this is the scariest thing,” she said. “The loss of information, the loss of freedom, essentially, is the most depressing thing for me.”
As well as signalling a shift to a China-style curtailment of the digital landscape, the frequent reduced access has left families with diabetic children unable to monitor their glucose levels, usually done with dedicated apps and putting their health at risk as a result.
Denis Volkov, director of Russia’s main independent pollster the Levada Centre, said many Russians were unhappy with the restrictions on their freedom but felt they had no power to make a difference.
He added that the Kremlin’s goal was likely to phase out any seeking of “alternative content” by making it unavailable, and eventually, there would be little choice but to “pick simpler channels and ways” to navigate the internet.
Russia also unveiled plans to introduce a 24-hour blackout period for domestic SIM cards that have either just returned from international travelling or been inactive for over three days earlier this month.
The measure, reportedly designed to stop Ukrainian drones from using Russia’s mobile network to launch attacks on its territory, follows the introduction of a similar 24-hour blackout on foreign SIM cards.
Russian authorities have tried to reframe the outages as opportunities for a “digital detox”, with state TV encouraging citizens to get offline and read, walk and spend time with their families.
