**Russia‘s Crackdown on the Internet**
In 2023, Russia blocked nearly 523,000 websites. But not all of them stayed blocked. About 106,000 were unblocked later that year.
The government agency in charge of taxes, the Federal Tax Service, was the biggest offender. It blocked 142,400 websites. Another group, Roskomnadzor, which oversees internet use in Russia, blocked over 132,000 sites. A third group, linked to the Prosecutor General’s Office, blocked 62,100.
Most of these blocks were not decided by a court. Instead, various government agencies made their own decisions about what content was allowed and what wasn’t. This included blocking websites that talked about LGBTQ+ issues, military criticism, gambling, and piracy.
**Targeting VPN Services**
In March 2024, Russia started cracking down on services that let people use the internet privately, called VPNs. Roskomnadzor is working to block these services and stop people from finding ways around restrictions.
Russia’s crackdown on the internet began in 2022 when it invaded Ukraine. People who speak out against the war or the Russian government face severe penalties.
The Russian government has used claims of “extremism” to silence news outlets, social media platforms, and organizations that disagree with them.
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