In recent years, the Russian government has implemented increasingly strict controls over the internet and social media within its borders. This culminated in early March 2022 with restrictions on access to major global social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
But Russia’s moves to limit social media are not entirely new. Over the past decade, the Kremlin has enacted various laws and policies aimed at exerting greater control over online information flows and curbing the influence of Western social networks. Understanding the history and motivations behind these efforts can shed light on the current ban on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Background
Russia has had an uneasy relationship with Western social media companies for many years. Networks like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, which originated in the United States, were initially slow to expand into the Russian market in the 2000s. Homegrown platforms like VKontakte and Odnoklassniki dominated the scene instead.
When global services like Facebook did begin operating in Russia, their growth was explosive. By 2021, an estimated 51 million Russians were using Facebook every month. Social media enabled new avenues for political discourse, coordination, and dissent in a country where the government traditionally had a tight grip on the media.
Early attempts at control
Alarmed by the political power of social platforms, Russian authorities began trying to exert control in the early 2010s. In 2011, a law came into effect allowing censorship of websites found to contain “extremist” content. Over the next few years, Russia used this and other laws to periodically block or throttle access to sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Authorities pressured companies to comply with orders to remove content or accounts deemed objectionable. By 2015, an estimated 93% of requests from Russian security services for removal of content from Facebook, Twitter, and Google services were at least partially complied with.
The 2016 Yarovaya law
A major turning point came in 2016 with the passage of the so-called “Yarovaya law” in Russia, named after one of its authors. Among other provisions, this law required telecom and internet providers to store records of user communications and activities. It also banned evangelism outside of officially recognized church settings.
For social platforms, the data localization requirements of the law meant Russian user information and activities needed to be kept on servers within the country. This provided opportunities for greater government surveillance and control.
Although the 2016 law did not immediately result in outright blocks of major social media sites like earlier incidents, it signaled a shift toward applying legal pressure on platforms to comply with Russian internet policy.
Roskomnadzor restrictions
Oversight of internet censorship and information controls falls under Roskomnadzor, Russia’s federal communications and media watchdog. Throughout the 2010s, Roskomnadzor frequently ordered takedowns of online content and throttled access to sites not complying with its directives.
A major target has been Telegram, the encrypted messaging app founded by Russian entrepreneur Pavel Durov. After Telegram refused to provide encryption keys to Russian security services in 2018, Roskomnadzor tried unsuccessfully to block the app. Despite frequent service disruptions, Telegram continues to operate in Russia.
Slowing Twitter
In early 2021, tensions grew between Russia and social media companies over the issue of banned content. Roskomnadzor accused platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter of failing to remove thousands of items deemed illegal under Russian law, including calls for protests and “extremist” expression.
As pressure mounted, Twitter became the main target of throttling “slowdowns” intended to force compliance on content takedowns. At points in early 2021, Twitter was so slowed as to be nearly unusable without a VPN.
Banning “extremist” content
In June 2021, a Russian court declared political organizations linked to jailed opposition figure Alexei Navalny as “extremist” groups. Consequently, social networks were ordered to block pro-Navalny content or face severe penalties.
Under threat of fines or advertising bans, most sites complied. However, Twitter resisted fully removing flagged accounts, instead only blocking them within Russia. Roskomnadzor responded by further slowing Twitter’s service.
2022 bans amid the Ukraine invasion
As Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Kremlin moved to control the narrative and limit anti-war organizing by blocking Facebook and imposing restrictions on Twitter, Facebook, and foreign media outlets.
On March 4, 2022, Roskomnadzor announced it had blocked Facebook completely in response to the platform’s recent fact-checking of Russian state media outlets. Twitter remained slow and difficult to access without a VPN.
Blocking Instagram
Instagram came under threat after parent company Meta allowed statements like “death to Russian invaders” that would normally violate rules on violent speech.
Citing this policy exception, Russia moved to declare Meta an “extremist organization.” On March 13, Instagram was blocked in Russia, impacting its estimated 63 million monthly users in the country.
| Platform | Date blocked |
|---|---|
| March 4, 2022 | |
| March 13, 2022 |
Removing “fake news”
A new Russian law enacted on March 4, 2022 threatens jail terms of up to 15 years for spreading “fake news” about the military. This led some foreign media to suspend operations in Russia due to safety concerns.
By late March 2022, only Twitter and YouTube remained partially available in Russia, though still subject to slowdowns and restrictions.
Motivations behind the social media bans
Russia’s escalating crackdown on social media serves several strategic objectives for the Kremlin and President Vladimir Putin:
- Silencing critics and anti-war voices
- Clamping down on protest organizing and opposition coordination
- Controlling the narrative around Ukraine
- Limiting access to foreign news and perspectives
- Asserting internet sovereignty
In essence, the bans allow Russia to restrict competing narratives and sources of information at a time of intense international scrutiny over its aggression toward Ukraine.
Silencing critics
A free and open internet has at times allowed dissent to thrive in Russia. Social platforms have enabled activities like coordinating anti-Kremlin protests and sharing information from independent journalists and activists.
By blocking tools protest organizers rely on, the authorities make it harder for Russians to voice opinions against the war or organize demonstrations. Only carefully state-controlled media remains easily accessible.
Controlling the narrative
Social networks also make it more difficult for the Kremlin to control the narrative and maintain support for its military operations.
Blocking Facebook and Twitter limits sources of news and perspectives alternative to the government’s official line. On domestic social networks like VKontakte, censorship of anti-war content allows largely pro-government rhetoric to prevail.
Limiting foreign influence
In the government’s telling, services like Facebook and Instagram are tools for dangerous Western influence and interference within Russia. Cutting access asserts information control and defends Russian internet sovereignty.
Authorities accuse foreign platforms of spreading anti-Russian bias and allowing what they deem illegal content. State media frames the bans as defensive measures necessary for stability and security.
Circumventing the social media blocks
Despite the restrictions, Russians are finding ways to bypass the social media bans. Methods include:
- Virtual Private Networks (VPNs): These services route internet traffic through servers outside Russia to obscure location and evade censorship.
- Proxy servers: Similar to VPNs, proxies also mask origin and allow accessing blocked platforms.
- TOR browser: This software enables anonymous browsing by encrypting traffic and bouncing through volunteer nodes around the world.
- Foreign SIM cards: Some Russians place SIM cards obtained from other countries into their mobile devices to access social media.
- Circumvention tools: Services like Lantern and Psiphon specifically provide censorship circumvention features.
However, authorities are working aggressively to detect and block the use of circumvention methods. Many VPNs have been banned already, and users caught accessing blocked content can face administrative or criminal charges.
Telegram remains available
Notably, Telegram remains functional in Russia despite previous bans. The app saw a surge in usage after restrictions blocked services like WhatsApp.
Telegram’s owner has refused to comply with government censorship demands. The app’s decentralized infrastructure makes blocking difficult compared to platforms that rely on a few centralized servers and hosting providers.
Conclusion
Russia’s expanding social media bans represent a new stage in the Kremlin’s years-long mission to control online information space. Blocking Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms is aimed at suppressing dissent, managing narratives, and asserting internet sovereignty.
However, Russians continue accessing banned social networks through VPNs, proxies, and other circumvention methods. Telegram, in particular, has thus far resisted Russian censorship pressure through its decentralized infrastructure.
The social media crackdown has raised fears of a new digital iron curtain falling in Russia. Nevertheless, the country’s digitally savvy users are finding ways to pierce through and continue accessing the open global internet.