Support The Moscow Times!

Russia Continues Fall in Internet Freedom Ranking — Freedom House

Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency

Russia's rating in the World Internet Freedom Index has fallen for the sixth consecutive year according to a report published by Freedom House on Thursday. 

The annual survey ranks 65 countries on a 100-point scale — with higher scores corresponding to a greater degree of internet censorship. Countries are classified as “free,” “not free” or “partially free” based on criteria such as rights violations and countrywide internet access.

Russia now ranks 53rd in the report with 65 points, behind Thailand and Gambia, and is classified as “not free.”

The report criticized the Russian government’s decision to block the Telegram messenger app earlier this year over “its refusal to make encrypted data accessible to the Federal Security Services.”  

The organization further slammed Russia for the adoption of anti-terror legislation known as the “Yarovaya laws,” which require Russian telecom companies to store users’ communications for six months after they are made. The legislation, which came into force in July, has been labeled by activists as “Russia's big brother law.” 

In April this year, thousands of protesters gathered in Moscow to express their support for internet freedom. Following the government’s ban on Telegram, Russians across the country also flew paper planes from their windows in solidarity with the messaging app. 

According to Freedom House, Russia’s decline in internet freedom is part of a general trend, with 26 countries in total seeing their internet freedoms curbed in the past year.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more