Facebook has faced increasing restrictions in Russia over the past few years, leading many to wonder if the social media platform is still accessible in the country. While Facebook is not completely blocked in Russia, the platform has been subject to censorship and throttling, making it difficult for Russians to access and use.
Is Facebook blocked in Russia?
Facebook is not fully blocked in Russia as of October 2023. However, Russian authorities have imposed various restrictions that have severely limited Facebook’s functionality in the country.
In March 2022, a Moscow court banned Facebook and Instagram in Russia, designating the platforms as “extremist organizations.” This ruling made Facebook and Instagram illegal to use in Russia. However, technically, the platforms have not been fully blocked by internet providers.
Instead, Russia has throttled traffic to Facebook’s services, making them extremely slow to load. Russian internet providers have reportedly cut traffic capacity to Facebook’s servers by 95%.
This throttling makes Facebook nearly impossible to use in Russia. Pages can take minutes to load, if they load at all. Uploading content or posting updates is exceptionally difficult.
Additionally, Russia has banned advertisements on Facebook. Businesses in Russia can no longer run ads on Facebook or Instagram. This applies to ads both within Russia and targeting Russian users.
In summary, while Facebook has not been fully blocked, intentional throttling and restrictions have severely limited Russian’s ability to access and use the platform. Facebook exists in a crippled, barely functional state for most internet users in Russia.
Why is Russia restricting Facebook?
Russia began throttling Facebook in response to restrictions that the platform placed on Russian state media accounts in March 2022. Facebook limited access globally to outlets like RT (formerly Russia Today) and Sputnik, stating they violated the platform’s policies related to the conflict in Ukraine.
In response, Russia accused Facebook of violating “the essential rights and freedoms of Russian nationals.” Limiting access to the platform within Russia is intended as a retaliation to Facebook’s restrictions on state media.
More broadly, Russia has been working to restrict foreign internet platforms like Facebook and Google for years. Russian authorities want to control the flow of information in the country, including the narratives around domestic and international events. Foreign platforms are more difficult for Russia to regulate.
Officials also cite potential “extremist activity” as a reason for cracking down on platforms like Facebook. The Russian government in recent years has designated social media content from the political opposition as extremist. Now it can cite the same rationale to throttle access to the platforms carrying that content.
What are the penalties for using Facebook in Russia?
Using Facebook and Instagram is technically illegal in Russia under the March 2022 court ruling designating the platforms as extremist. However, authorities have so far not targeted individual civilian users for accessing Facebook.
It is unlikely an average citizen would face prosecution simply for using Facebook or Instagram. But they could receive a warning or fine from regulators if discovered.
The much bigger risk is for businesses, public figures, politicians, and the media. These users face far stricter oversight and penalties:
- Businesses and organizations in Russia are banned from advertising or even just operating official brand accounts on Facebook and Instagram.
- Public figures and politicians can be charged under anti-extremism laws for having an official presence on Facebook or Instagram.
- Media outlets and journalists can have licenses revoked for posting content to Facebook pages.
In summary, average everyday citizens are not the target of enforcement. But businesses, organizations, public figures, media outlets, and politicians in Russia do face legal jeopardy for using Facebook and Instagram in any official capacity.
Can Russians access Facebook using a VPN?
Using a VPN is the best way for Russians to circumvent restrictions and access Facebook. A VPN encrypts a user’s internet traffic and routes it through servers outside Russia.
This allows Russians to bypass throttling and gain full access to Facebook. It also hides the fact that a user is accessing Facebook from Russia. Some key advantages of using a VPN include:
- Bypassing internet throttling and blocks.
- Accessing the full Facebook platform and all content.
- Hiding Russian IP address and location.
- Encryption protection from Russian cyber monitoring.
There are many VPN services available commercially, some of which even offer free subscriptions. However, the Russian government has attempted to restrict access to VPNs as their use has grown.
Some VPN websites are now blocked in Russia, making it harder for users to download or setup the services. VPN apps have even vanished from the Russian version of the app store. The government is aware that VPNs allow citizens to bypass censorship tools.
Despite the restrictions, VPNs still remain the best option for accessing the open internet and sites like Facebook in Russia. Many services are innovating to remain available.
What are some Facebook alternatives in Russia?
With Facebook access restricted, some popular alternatives for social networking and messaging have emerged in Russia:
- VKontakte (VK) – Russia’s most popular social network and closest equivalent to Facebook. Over 50 million active Russian users.
- Odnoklassniki – Translates to “Classmates” – Popular with older generations. Over 45 million users.
- Telegram – Encrypted messaging app with social features. Has replaced WhatsApp in popularity.
- TamTam – Messaging app that has seen increased growth within Russia. Provides enhanced privacy.
- Moi Mir – New social app launched by internet giant Yandex as a domestic substitute for foreign platforms.
The Russian government has been encouraging netizens to switch away from Facebook and Instagram to these domestic platforms. However, those who want full access to global internet content are still turning to VPNs.
Can small businesses in Russia still use Facebook?
No, small businesses in Russia are banned from advertising or operating official brand accounts on Facebook. This includes:
- Creating business pages
- Registering ads
- Managing existing pages or ads
- Sharing branded content
Violating the ban could result in administrative charges and fines against the business under Russia’s anti-extremism laws related to the Facebook ban.
Bigger companies could have entire operations like marketing and advertising shut down for flouting the Facebook rules.
Small businesses rely heavily on platforms like Facebook to reach customers. But the legal risks are now too high in Russia to maintain any official presence. The only way for small firms to leverage Facebook now is through unofficial personal accounts.
WhatsApp and Telegram – What messaging apps work in Russia?
Here is the status of some popular messaging apps in Russia currently:
| App | Status in Russia |
|---|---|
| Partially blocked and very limited functionality | |
| Telegram | Fully available and works normally |
| Signal | Available but could face future restrictions |
| FaceTime | Restricted by Russian law since 2014 |
| TamTam | Domestic Russian app that is fully available |
Of the global messaging apps, Telegram has emerged as the clear leader in Russia due to user familiarity and lack of restrictions. WhatsApp is technically available but barely functional due to throttling of Facebook-owned properties.
Telegram does face risks of future blocks, but its decentralized infrastructure makes it harder for Russia to restrict. Meanwhile new Russian apps like TamTam are also gaining popularity.
Can I use Facebook in Russia through TOR browser?
The TOR browser provides another potential option for Russians to access Facebook. TOR routes internet traffic through a worldwide volunteer network of servers to conceal a user’s location and access blocked content.
Key advantages of using TOR for Facebook include:
- Accessing Facebook with no throttling or slow speeds.
- Bypassing censorship of content posted to Facebook.
- Hides the fact you are accessing Facebook from Russia.
However, there are also downsides to consider with TOR:
- Network speed can be very slow due to traffic routing through multiple nodes.
- Russian authorities actively try to detect and block TOR use.
- Using TOR itself can raise suspicions if detected.
The TOR browser provides another workaround, but requires users to tolerate slower speeds. It also lacks encryption during the routing process. VPNs remain the best solution for securely bypassing Russian internet restrictions.
Conclusion
While Facebook is not completely blocked in Russia, severe restrictions make the platform largely inaccessible and barely usable for most people. Only technical methods like VPNs and TOR allow Russians to fully access Facebook.
Using Facebook involves legal risks, especially for businesses, public figures, and media outlets. Average citizens are not actively prosecuted just for using Facebook, but restrictions prevent the platform from being used normally.
Russia will likely continue tightening access to Facebook and other foreign internet platforms. But VPN services and new technologies will also advance to help Russians circumvent the censorship and access the open global internet.