[Software] Russia's internet censorship is forcing citizens to turn to the dark web and VPNs for news and social media

[FazzNoth]

Social-media platforms and news sites have all but disappeared from the Russian internet. 
The Kremlin banned platforms, including Facebook, while others left due to a "fake news" law.
VPN software downloads skyrocketed, but advocates remain concerned about "isolation."
In just under a month, the internet in Russia has become nearly unrecognizable after hundreds of news outlets and social media platforms have vanished from the web, while global tech companies like Netflix and Apple have restricted their services. 

 

The Kremlin earlier this month banned Twitter and Facebook from the Russian internet, and on Monday it blocked access to Instagram. Russian Instagram influencers posted tearful goodbye videos, urging followers to move to platforms they could still access.  

Russia has rapidly and drastically entered into a type of digital isolation, cutting off millions of citizens from access to accurate information and online spaces to express opinions. As Moscow seeks to stifle dissent and control the narrative over its invasion of Ukraine, digital and human rights groups are worried about the future of Russia's internet.

In addition to the Kremlin blocking access to numerous online platforms and news sites, several companies and outlets have been forced to suspend their operations after the country passed a law that makes it a serious crime to publish information the government deems as "fake." 

The law also came as the Kremlin sought to spread a mountain of misinformation and disinformation about the war in Ukraine, leading to major platforms — like YouTube to remove or label state-controlled Russian media.

 

TikTok early in March announced it would block Russian users from live streaming or uploading new videos, citing the "fake news" law. But the company went even further in restricting content for Russian users, according to a Tuesday report from the non-profit tech transparency group Tracking Exposed.

TikTok appeared to block 95% of the content on the platform from Russian users, including the accounts of French President Emmanuel Macron and the United Nations, as well as from the platform's most po[CENSORED]r stars like Charli D'Amelio.

"It is the first time a global social media platform has restricted access to content at this scale," Tracking Exposed said in a tweet. 

Major international news organizations, including the BBC, CNN, and Bloomberg, also suspended service in Russia, citing the "fake news" law.

"It's a very bad situation right now, and we're trying to make sure that the human rights of people are respected," said Natalia Krapiva, the tech-legal counsel at the non-profit Access Now, which works to protect digital access globally.

 

Tech companies pulling out of Russia or platforms vastly restricting services could hurt average Russians, Krapiva said, as well as Ukrainians who are in occupied territories who can only access the Russian internet.

"While obviously there's legitimate concerns and the need to impose sanctions on Russia, some of the actions are now basically isolating and disconnecting people who are in fact opposing the war," Krapiva told Insider.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/russias-internet-censorship-is-forcing-citizens-to-turn-to-the-dark-web-and-vpns-for-news-and-social-media/ar-AAVbMip?ocid=BingNewsSearch