February 08, 2023

Censorship, Hack Attacks, and Mass Emigration


Censorship, Hack Attacks, and Mass Emigration
A stylized, futuristic "RU," a symbol of the "Runet," or Russian internet. Wikimedia Commons, Dmitry Rozhkov.

The Russian project "Network Freedoms" released a report on internet freedom in Russia in 2022. According to the document, last year saw a record number of cases of interference with internet communications in Russia: over 637,000.

The cases were mainly related to prohibition of information and blocking websites and IP addresses. Over 190,000 websites were censored because they called for unauthorized demonstrations or because they spread socially significant information that was "unreliable," according to the Russian prosecutor's office.

Researchers recorded 779 cases of possible and real criminal prosecution for statements on the internet, posts, and reposts. According to the report, most cases stemmed from social media posts about the shelling of Ukrainian cities, the deaths of Ukrainian civilians, and losses among Russian servicemen.

Not surprisingly Russia led the world in the number of VPN application downloads. In the first half of 2022, 23.94 percent of the country's citizens downloaded VPNs (34.9 million in total).

The report also noted that hundreds of thousands of IT specialists and at least a thousand journalists left Russia in 2022. According to experts, this has laid the groundwork for the emergence of a “second Runet”: an alternative Russian language internet free from state censorship.

Experts of “Network Freedoms” also noted 371 cyber attacks on Russian websites, more than over the previous eight years combined. The portals of regional publications, as well as federal state information resources were among the victims. In particular, hackers attacked the Hermitage Museum's information displays, Pobeda Cinema's website, and several media outlets from the Amur Oblast.

Further, the hacking of government and corporate databases has become a front in the cyber warfare between Russia and Ukraine. At least 260 personal data leaks affected at least 75 percent of Russians: another anti-record for 2022.

You Might Also Like

Meduza Declared Undesirable
  • January 27, 2023

Meduza Declared Undesirable

On January 26, Russia’s Prosecutor General declared the popular publication Meduza an “undesirable” organization.
A Year of Decline
  • December 31, 2022

A Year of Decline

Russia’s War on Ukraine is exacting deep and enduring economic and social costs on the country.
Russia in 2022
  • December 23, 2022

Russia in 2022

In which we look back at Russia's performance in 2022.
Dangerous Dreams
  • December 23, 2022

Dangerous Dreams

Russians are being fined for their dreams, "likes," and "silent support."
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955