The Russian government continues to restrict citizens' access to independent sources of information and means of communication.
The Russian government has initiated new restrictions on the use of digital telecommunications in Russia. This is intended to block Russians' access to alternative sources of information other than Russian propaganda.
This was reported by the British Ministry of Defense in its daily intelligence report.
According to British intelligence, Russian authorities have begun to slow down traffic on the WhatsApp messenger. Officially, this is explained by the need to limit the ability of extremist groups to communicate. However, the real goal is likely to be to limit communication between the opposition and anti-war activists.
In addition, on July 12, Russian media reported that the Russian government was deliberately slowing down YouTube traffic. It is expected that the Kremlin may completely block access to this platform in September 2024. YouTube has been heavily used by the opposition, including the late Alexei Navalny, to criticize Russian authorities and spread alternative views.
According to British intelligence, these measures are part of a general trend towards increasing state control over media and information in Russia. The purpose of such actions is to limit the population's access to independent sources of information and ensure that the Russian population only has access to media that is consistent with government ideology.
“These restrictions on access to social media platforms are likely intended to ensure that the Russian population can only access media consistent with government-controlled ideology. By limiting safe means of private communication, government surveillance of potential dissidents will be made easier and will create an atmosphere of fear among those who may criticize the regime,” the British Ministry of Defense notes.
Recall that according to the results of an all-Russian poll, the majority of Russians still support the war of aggression against Ukraine, which the Kremlin unleashed more than two years ago.
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