Russia sets record with over 417,000 websites blocked in 2024, The Moscow Times reports
Pravda Ukraine
Russia blocked access to more than 417,000 websites in 2024, marking a record high.
Source: The Moscow Times with reference to Roskomsvoboda registry
Details: A total of 523,000 online resources were restricted, while around 106,000 were eventually unlocked. In comparison, in 2023, restrictions affected 571,000 pages, with access restored to only 197,000.
The number of blocked websites in 2024 that remain inaccessible is double that of 2023 and five times that of 2022. The unblocking rate has also decreased significantly: 183,000 resources were unblocked in 2022, 374,000 in 2023, and only 106,000 in 2024.
In 2024, the Federal Tax Service initiated the largest number of blocking actions, with access to 142,000 resources being restricted at its request. The censorship authority Roskomnadzor was in second place with over 132,000 blockings.
The third place was taken by an “unspecified government agency”, which blocked more than 62,000 web pages. The courts, in particular the Moscow City Court, contributed to the blocking of more than 60,000 websites, of which about 50,000 were restricted on the initiative of the City Court.
Roskomnadzor’s registry included the “unspecified government agency” category in late 2022, which experts believe might replace references to the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office.
It should be mentioned that more than 85% of blocking in 2024 took place without court orders.
Background:
- Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, along with the censorship authority Roskomnadzor, are discussing the potential implementation of call restrictions in messaging apps, supposedly due to an increase in fraudster activities.
- The popular messaging app Viber has been blocked by Russia’s Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor). The decision was made in connection with a violation of the law.
- Russian users of the Signal messenger app encountered issues with the service.
- Between July and September 2024, Apple removed 60 VPN apps from the Russian App Store, bringing the total unavailable VPN apps to 98.
Support UP or become our patron!