Mobile internet outages in Russia will last as long as “necessary” to ensure citizens’ safety, the Kremlin said Wednesday, after network disruptions were recorded inMoscowand other Russian cities.
It is the latest in a string of curbs imposed by the Russian authorities on internet access, after Moscow ordered restrictions on messaging apps WhatsApp, owned by US social media giant Meta, and Telegram.
Russia cited the need to combat criminal activity and has been pushing state-backed Russian rival Max instead. But Kremlin critics say it is an attempt to bolster surveillance online.
When asked at a daily briefing about how long the outages will last, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said “as long as additional measures are necessary to ensure the safety of our citizens.”
He also accused Ukraine of using “increasingly sophisticated attack methods” and said that “more technologically advanced countermeasures are needed” to repel them.
Russian security services have frequently claimed that Ukraine was using Telegram to recruit people or commit acts of sabotage in Russia.
The outages have “gotten worse lately”, Nikolay, a 20-year-old student who refused to give his full name, told AFP in Moscow, adding that “using the internet has become less convenient”.
“I have problems with messaging apps, I can’t contact my loved ones,” he said.
Critics and rights campaigners say the restrictions are an attempt by the Kremlin to ramp up control and surveillance over internet use inRussia.
They also say it will make it harder for Russians to communicate with people outside the country.
Source: Insider Paper
