Cheburnet as the Fortress of Lies and Censorship in Russia
By Vladimir Mikhalev · Solutions Architect · Docker Captain · CNCF Ambassador · IBM Champion
In 2022, Russia opened a new dark chapter in its history. With the support of a submissive population, authorities not only perpetrated a genocide against the Ukrainian people but also began heroically suffocating the remaining vestiges of free speech within the country.
Each new restriction, whether it was X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or VPN services, was met with approval by Russians. They not only passively accepted the loss of their rights but also vehemently rejected Western services, condemning them for mythical “sin and depravity”. For the Russian orcs, Cheburnet became not just a shield from the world but a fortress of lies, protecting them from the truth.
Each date listed below is not just a mark on the calendar but a brick in the wall of Cheburnet, separating the regime-submissive Russians from the rest of the world.
March 4, 2022 — Russia blocked access to X (formerly known as Twitter) and Facebook, starting a large-scale campaign against platforms that could host critical opinions or information about the invasion of Ukraine.
March 14, 2022 — Instagram was blocked, further reducing Russians’ access to global social networks.
August 7, 2022 — The blockage of Patreon limited content creators dependent on international donations.
September 22, 2022 — SoundCloud was blocked, affecting musicians and podcasters.
October 19, 2022 — Metacritic was blocked, limiting access to entertainment content reviews and ratings.
March 1, 2024 — A ban on promoting VPN services, crucial for bypassing internet censorship, was introduced.
April 23, 2024 — The government blocked 150 of the most popular VPN services, significantly hindering the ability to circumvent local internet restrictions.
July 12, 2024 — Ficbook, a popular resource for Russian-language fanfiction, was blocked.
July 16, 2024 — Envato, a major resource for stock photography, video, and music, was blocked.
August 5, 2024 — YouTube was slowed down to a non-functional state, virtually depriving users of access to video content.
August 8, 2024 — Bloggers with more than 10,000 subscribers are required to register with Roskomnadzor and provide personal information.
August 9, 2024 — The messaging app Signal was blocked on charges of violating Russian law, necessary to prevent its use in terrorist and extremist activities.
And yet another chord in the symphony of horror is the new authority of Roskomnadzor. The agency now has the power to control the networks of all internet providers in the country. This means that if a provider fails to comply with content removal demands, Roskomnadzor can take over the network management. Moreover, they can do this without any notification, giving the state agency nearly unlimited possibilities for control and censorship.