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In the wake of protests over Russia’s presidential election and the killing of opposition politician Alexei Navalny, Russian authorities may decide that the safest option is to completely shut down the internet. Millions of Meduza’s readers live in Russia and rely on our reporting for accurate news about the world. Here’s what we think is coming and how you can prepare.
internet control
Over the past few months, Russian authorities have been experimenting with new ways to “filter” and restrict internet access within Russia. His Telegram and WhatsApp users in Russia are reporting outages, and a crackdown on VPN services continues. During Alexei Navalny’s funeral, law enforcement resorted to the crudest method: turning off high-speed mobile data. Since Navalny’s killing, hackers have also targeted independent media and activists. Meduza is currently facing the most intense cyberattack campaign in its history.
This all sounds very alarming. However, we fear that if Russian authorities decide that the Internet is safer, they will go further and censor it completely. At the very least, it is possible that something like this could happen before or after the election. We must prepare for this eventuality.
what happens
It is expected that authorities may shut down or slow down the internet in areas where large groups of people gather. Telegram, WhatsApp, YouTube will stop working and the app store may stop working too. Most VPNs will be blocked. And of course, Kremlin-affiliated hackers will try to disable independent media websites, including Meduza, using a variety of tactics, including DDoS attacks.
If this happens, Meduza will immediately issue an SOS newsletter (in Russian). You can still send news by email to readers in Russia, even if everything else is blocked.
Your help can be a bridge of hope for many people in Russia. Join her Meduza’s mission to fight censorship with truth. Donate now.
How to use
For security reasons, SOS newsletters are not sent from Meduza’s domain. We will launch this service only if absolutely necessary, that is, if the Russian authorities start disabling or slowing down the Internet. It will be in the form of a news digest containing only the most important and urgent information.
Even under the most severe internet restrictions, email should continue to work, and it would be impossible for Russian authorities to filter email effectively.
Unfortunately, the SOS newsletter may still be needed after the election. There are no signs that the situation in Russia will improve in the near future. But whatever happens, we are ready. We will not let the Russian authorities stop us from telling our readers the truth.
If you live in Russia, subscribe to the SOS newsletter here.
