Topic: VK
VK, a major Russian social media platform, faces significant censorship pressures and has been involved in deplatforming activities, including banning political groups. The platform’s operations are heavily influenced by government regulations and sanctions, which complicate its role in promoting free expression. As governments push users toward state-backed alternatives, the implications for privacy and individual liberty are profound.
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Apple Removes VK’s Apps from App Store in Russia, Citing Sanctions Compliance
The deletion meant to punish a Kremlin-linked company hands Moscow the exact wall it has spent years trying to build.
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Russia Blocks WhatsApp Nationwide, Pushing 100 Million Users Toward Kremlin-Backed App Max
Russia’s 100 million WhatsApp users are being nudged toward Max, a Kremlin-friendly app that doesn’t offer end-to-end encryption.
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Russia Pushes State-Backed Messaging App “Max” as it Moves to Ban WhatsApp
WhatsApp’s potential exit marks another milestone in Russia’s quiet war to nationalize the internet one app at a time.
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Apple removes Russian app VK and others from App Store after UK sanctions
Popular Russian social networks and communications apps are starting to be removed.
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VK bans British political party Britain First
The Russian-based platform deleted the page.
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Russian court orders censorship of two LGBT network websites
The St Petersburg Court ordered the blocking two popular LGBT networking sites and said they were promoting “anti-family values.”
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Yandex Zen sets its sights on being a YouTube competitor
The Yandex video service lets bloggers upload videos on Yandex Zen that must be under 15 minutes long, which then…
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Telegram founder Pavel Durov is determined to make an internet that can’t be censored
The Telegram Open Network will be an interesting project to watch.