Russia’s domestic spy agency is pushing to tighten control of the country’s internet, sparking rare pushback from the country’s elite.
Moscow has blocked Telegram, looked to crack down on VPN use, and is pushing a state-linked messaging app. Business leaders are losing money over the new rules because they are being forced to cut off VPN-using customers, and some are taking the unusual step of speaking out in the press, according to Vlast, an independent media outlet covering Russia.
Some pro-Kremlin politicians are also criticizing the Telegram ban to boost their popularity.
President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, has dodged the issue; Russia’s spy agency is “adept at manipulating the internet-illiterate Putin, who tends to trust their recommendations — particularly in wartime.”