Russia Tightens Internet Control Amid War Fears

0:00On March 25, Russia is ramping up control over its internet amid growing fears in the Kremlin that surveillance networks could be hacked by enemies, much like what reportedly happened in Iran. Officials points to Israel's alleged use of Tehran's camera systems to track and assassinate Supreme Leader Ali Kamene earlier this year. In response, mobile internet has gone dark daily in parts of Central Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other cities over the past week. These outages hit office workers, teens relying on virtual private networks, and drivers without maps. The Kremlin blames foreign apps like Telegram and WhatsApp for not following local rules. Plus the needs of block Ukrainian drone signals that use cell, networks. They've now banned over 400 virtual private networks, slowed Telegram, and fully restricted WhatsApp. Russians are feeling the squeeze, with new laws letting security forces cut off users anytime and hold people longer. That's worry. This sets up a major online crackdown, especially if the Ukraine war heats up or ends, sparking

1:04protests. Meanwhile, younger folks dodge blocks mainly to reach social apps like Instagram, not for politics. The moves draw from China's and Iran's playbooks, letting Russia shut down big chunks of mobile and fix internet while keeping state control tight. Leaders remember the chaos after the Soviet pull-out from Afghanistan in 1989, which helped topple the USSR in 1991. As Moscow pushes state-back apps like Macs for schools and chats, officials insist these steps ensure stability against Western meddling, even as, workarounds persist.