Russia has repeatedly restricted mobile internet access and granted itself sweeping powers to cut off mass communications, disrupting messaging apps and virtual private network (VPN) services in what diplomats have described as a ‘major crackdown’.
A major technical disruption on Friday, which authorities have yet to fully explain, caused widespread problems for consumers. The Moscow metro allowed passengers to pass through turnstiles without payment, while a regional zoo asked visitors to pay in cash.
‘Welcome back to the digital resistance, my Russian brothers and sisters,’ Telegram founder Pavel Durov wrote. ‘The whole nation is now mobilised to bypass these absurd restrictions,’ he added.
