Russia Rolls Down Internet Iron Curtain, but Gaps Remain

Moscow has restricted some services, while others have pulled back voluntarily, creating a new fissure in the global internet

Media coverage of Russian troops invading Ukraine is unfolding differently in Russia than in the U.S. Using maps and disinformation, many television programs are shaping public opinion by justifying Moscow’s decision to attack its neighbor. Photo composite: Sharon Shi
By Sam Schechner and Keach Hagey

Russia is dropping a digital iron curtain over its population, creating a big, new fracture in the global internet—but there are still big gaps in President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to cut off the country from online information accessible in much of the rest of the world.

Just over two weeks after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin on Friday ramped up its war on outside information about the invasion, saying it would start blocking Instagram. It called the photo-sharing app’s parent company, Meta Platforms Inc., an “extremist organization” for allowing violent statements about invading Russian troops.

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