The occupation of Runet? : The tightening state regulation of the Russian-language section of the internet

In this chapter, we scrutinise the Russian state’s regulation for political purposes of the Russian-language section of the internet or ‘Runet’, as it is often dubbed in Russia. We will focus on those regulative actions which came into force during and after the protest wave in Russia in 2011–2013. Internet and social media played an important role in the mobilisation of these protests that challenged the legitimacy of the ruling elite. We argue that the protests marked a watershed moment in the Russian government’s information policy, which had previously mainly functioned through the control of the federal Russian TV channels. After the protests, the Kremlin mounted a campaign to regulate…

Digital Activism in Russia: The Evolution and Forms of Online Participation in an Authoritarian State

AbstractThis chapter describes how digitalization has affected activism in Russia by tracing the evolution, particularity, and the most visible forms of online activism in the context of the increasingly authoritarian Russian state. It discusses online activism in relation to “connective action” and illustrates it with two examples of contentious political activism: the anti-corruption campaign led by Alexei Navalny and the struggle to protect online communication from state surveillance by the Telegram messenger service. In addition, the chapter presents examples of Russian activism, which do not directly challenge the Kremlin.

Social media in civic and political activism in Russia