Russian authorities blocked access to 417,000 websites in 2024, independent news site Vyorstka reported on Tuesday.
The Russian independent news site, citing data from internet freedom NGO Roskomsvoboda, reported that 2024 saw the highest number of blocks that are still in effect by the Kremlin.
Initially, 523,000 online resources were blocked in 2024, but Russia restored access to 20% of them. While 2023 technically had more bans at 571,000 restricted websites, Roskomsvoboda found that access to all but 197,000 were restored.
2024’s number of blocked internet pages is double 2023’s number and more than five times greater than that of 2022, Vyorstka found.
Roskomsvoboda also found that the number of sites that later get unblocked gradually decreased. A total of 183,000 were unblocked in 2022, 374,000 were unblocked in 2023, and 106,800 were unblocked in 2024.
Who banned what?
The Russian Federal Tax service was responsible for a majority of the bans, with 142,000 restrictions on its list at the start of 2025, Vyorstka reported. Russian state communications regulator Roskomnadzor came next, with 132,000 restricted websites. An unnamed government agency Vyorstka believes to be associated with the Prosecutor General’s Office blocked 62,100 websites.
It’s important to note that different Russian agencies are usually responsible for blocking different content. Some 85% of the bans occurred extrajudicial, and various government agencies have the authority to impose them. The Moscow Times reported that the Federal Tax Service, for example, targets gambling sites.
However, the Prosecutor-General’s Office and Roskomnadzor are still the main organizations that enforce online censorship. The two organizations usually restrict content related to LGBTQ+ issues, materials from any Russian-labeled “foreign agents,” “false” information about the military and the war in Ukraine, and information on how to get past government-mandated restrictions.
Vyorstka noted that websites weren’t the only online services being targeted. The Kremlin slowed down YouTube in the country in 2023. It also deleted apps such as Discord, Signal, Viber, and Radio Free Europe-affiliated apps. It also blocked more than 800 tools to circumvent government-imposed blockages and forced the App Store to take down several hundred applications.
Other independent media apps, such as the BBC and Meduza, are under threat.
Since March 2024, VPN services in Russia have been increasingly targeted as well. Vyorstka reported that over 100 VPN services were shut down in the country.
The Russian Government started these online crackdowns after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It cites “extremism” to crack down on media within the country.
This article was originally published at www.jpost.com
