Russia’s war in Ukraine has ignited the fight on a new front: They realized that their lives were no longer their own. Tech giants like Google are standing up to Russian authorities, describing a scenario of their choosing followed by strict censorship of content that they deem misleading or harmful to them as a government.
The long battle reached a climax just recently when a high-profile Russian court rejected Google’s lawsuit against Google for a $10 billion fine. One reason to justify this claim was that Russia has strong cyberspace surveillance, as the company was reprimanded for not removing critical content related to the war and the growing intolerance for dissent in Russia online. This is not only the first time, but also the last time in its history; This is the third rejection of the appeal under a different category of penalty for the same violation.
Through proxy war, the Kremlin seeks to establish new spheres of influence, not only about the Ukrainian conflict. Additionally, Google was fined for not removing “extremist” and “LGBTQ+ propaganda” videos, which the Russian defamation dictionary defines as. Moreover, this repression was seen on every other platform as well. Internet giants like Facebook and Instagram are now either shut down or facing bans, while Google subsidiary YouTube is operating despite heavy restrictions.
This inconsistency raises eyebrows. The Kremlin appears to be dealing with others in secret, while the remaining platforms suffer more from a hostile communication environment. It’s clear that Russia is determined to control the online narrative, and tech companies caught in the crossfire face a tough choice: undergo censorship unless you’re willing to face fines or your site will be banned for so long. Do not block access to the country of size. The armed fight for free Internet in Russia has not even begun yet.
