Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, access to many foreign online services and resources has been restricted by the Russian government. This has happened through laws passed by Russia’s parliament, as well as through directives issued by Russia’s communications regulator Roskomnadzor. The bans have targeted major global tech companies, social media platforms, news outlets and other sites that the Russian authorities claim are spreading “false information” about the war in Ukraine.
Here is an overview of some of the major sites and services that have been blocked or restricted in Russia over the past months.
Social media sites
Several major social media platforms are now inaccessible in Russia without using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to circumvent internet restrictions.
- Facebook – Access to Facebook was blocked in March 2022, with the platform having been accused of discriminating against Russian media.
- Instagram – Access to Instagram was blocked in March 2022. The photo sharing site had over 60 million users in Russia.
- Twitter – Access to Twitter was blocked in March 2022, shortly after Russia threatened action against the platform for failing to take down content encouraging harm against Russians.
- TikTok – TikTok announced it was suspending livestreaming and new content in Russia in March 2022 following the introduction of a new “fake news” law. It remains largely available.
- YouTube – YouTube has not been fully blocked, but many videos have been made unavailable in Russia due to restrictions.
The social media bans cut off tens of millions of Russians from popular services that they relied upon to communicate with family, friends and the outside world.
Search engines
Russia has also imposed restrictions on major search engines:
- Google – Functionality of Google’s search engine has been significantly degraded. Russians see a plethora of blocked message instead of some search results.
- Google News – Google’s news aggregation site was blocked for spreading alleged misinformation about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- Yandex – Some content has been blocked on Russia’s major domestic search engine Yandex, but it remains largely available.
Foreign news outlets
Independent news sources based outside of Russia have had their websites blocked or put under significant access restrictions:
- BBC News – The BBC has been blocked in Russia after its Russian language news website was accused of spreading “false information.”
- Voice of America – US-backed media outlet Voice of America has been blocked by Russia.
- Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – Websites of RFE/RL, which is funded by the US Congress, are blocked.
- Deutsche Welle – Access to the German public broadcaster is restricted.
- Meduza – Russia’s leading independent news website based in Latvia was blocked.
- Wikipedia – The Russian government briefly imposed restrictions on Wikipedia over entries related to the war, before lifting the ban.
The blocking of independent news outlets further isolates the Russian public from reporting on the war that diverges from the official Kremlin narrative.
VPNs
VPNs are services that allow users to bypass geolocation restrictions and access the global internet unimpeded. They have become essential for many Russians seeking to use blocked sites and services.
Russia has been trying to restrict access to VPNs by telling Apple and Google to remove certain VPN apps from their Russian app stores. However, VPN use remains widespread despite the restrictions.
Government critics
Websites and resources associated with prominent critics of Putin’s regime have been targeted for blocking:
- Alexei Navalny – Jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s website and regional network sites were blocked.
- Kasparov.ru – The website of chess grandmaster and Putin critic Garry Kasparov was blocked.
- Ekho Moskvy – Popular liberal radio station Ekho Moskvy was taken off air over its Ukraine coverage.
- Dozhd TV – Independent TV channel Dozhd was blocked and forced to suspend operations.
These measures seek to silence influential opposition voices and organizations within Russia.
Circumvention tools
A number of tools and services designed specifically to bypass online censorship have been restricted:
- Tor – The Tor browser, which allows anonymous browsing, has been blocked.
- Psiphon – An open source circumvention tool has been blocked.
- Lantern – Advocacy group Lantern’s app was removed from Russian app stores.
By targeting anti-censorship tools, Russia aims to make it harder for citizens to access blocked content.
Western tech and software
Access to many Western technology products and services has been impeded as companies suspend operations in Russia:
- Apple – Apple halted sales of its products in Russia and restricted some services such as Apple Pay.
- Microsoft – Microsoft paused sales of its products and services in Russia.
- Adobe – Adobe suspended services in Russia including Creative Cloud, Document Cloud and Experience Cloud.
- Samsung – Samsung suspended product shipments to Russia.
- Airbnb – Airbnb suspended operations in Russia and Belarus.
The departure of major international technology companies has made certain software, devices and online services harder to obtain in Russia.
Global internet services
Some of the world’s most popular internet platforms and sites are now wholly or partially inaccessible in Russia:
- Facebook apps – WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Instagram messaging are restricted.
- Netflix – Netflix suspended its streaming service in Russia.
- Amazon – Amazon’s retail business is suspended in Russia.
- PayPal – PayPal cut off Russia’s access to its services.
- Reddit – Popular discussion site Reddit restricted access to Russian state-affiliated media subreddits.
Russians are becoming increasingly isolated from popular global internet services used by hundreds of millions of people.
Crypto exchanges
Trading cryptocurrency helped Russians mitigate the impact of Western sanctions, until:
- Binance – Binance limited services in Russia, banning debit/credit card purchases.
- Coinbase – Coinbase blocked 25,000 Russian accounts from using its cryptocurrency exchange.
Russia also banned cryptocurrency payments for goods and services domestically in March 2022.
Transport apps
Apps providing logistical services in Russia faced restrictions:
- Uber – Uber suspended services in Russia.
- Bolt – Major ride-hailing app Bolt paused operations in Russia.
- Yandex Taxi – Russia restricted access to ride-hailing app Yandex Taxi.
Everyday ridesharing and delivery services were curtailed through bans on major providers.
Online payment providers
Online payment systems and fintech apps based outside of Russia have been impacted:
- PayPal – PayPal services were blocked.
- Google Pay – Google suspended Google Pay services in Russia.
- Apple Pay – Apple Pay stopped working with Russian banks and cards.
- Visa – Visa suspended all operations in Russia.
These moves restricted Russians’ ability to make payments and transfers using prominent global digital payments platforms.
Conclusion
Russia’s blocking of online services, resources and platforms has cut its population off from many staples of the modern, global internet. Restrictions enacted since the Ukraine invasion have isolated Russia technologically and economically to an unprecedented extent. With additional bans constantly looming, Russians face an increasingly restricted and censored internet.