The lengths to which the Russian government is going to reshape the discourse within the country is quite frightening. The recent bill passed by The Duma now searches for users attempting to log into content flagged as “extremism”, which mainly targets opposition groups and independents. The fines range from 3 to 5 thousand roubles, but users also face blacklisting which is highly detrimental within the current autocracy governed by Putin. This is the last remaining goal for Europe’s Western social media platforms, especially for WhatsApp. The abrupt cessation to allow free usage of the app resulted in noticing an increase in users attempting to switch to “Max”, an app which is slowly but surely becoming a Western social media alternative for Russia. WhatsApp is slowly being excluded from Russian schools. Recently, Tatarstan and Mari El regions publicly announced the requirement for WhatsApp to be eliminated and group chats to be held on “Max”.Why is this happening now? The Russian government seeks to minimize access to independent information and force the populace to only use state-controlled media. After public dissent was suppressed following the Ukraine invasion, the Kremlin moved to monoculture decouple public discourse from private life, to policing private digital activities, including the search terms you input. A more profound struggle is visible, though. The Kremlin’s efforts to forcefully change online behavior could be futile for a generation that grew up with unfettered access to the global internet. Even state media figures, like Ekaterina Andreeva, VPNs and escapes from the walled garden consume independent content, and millions bypass state-controlled media for unfiltered information. That said, the imposition of control does create a tangible atmosphere of fear. The government’s approach involves the suspension of social media reporting, alongside active “patrols” urging citizens to report each other for “enemy” media consumption, and now, laws to punish intellectual curiosity. “Re-educating” a society used to the digital world is the objective, though experts contend that repression—no matter how severe—will not erase deeply rooted digital habits, especially during social upheaval.This is just another example of how the Kremlin is trying to gain control of Russians’ social activities and online interactions through the use of censorship and surveillance along with the threat of punishment.
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