Russia’s latest testing.
Recently, Russia tried something new with the internet. In some places like Dagestan, Chechnya, and Ingushetia, people couldn’t use popular websites like Google, YouTube, Telegram, and WhatsApp for a while.
Even if they used a VPN (a tool that hides where you are), the websites didn’t work.
Reasons for such tests.
Russia wants to control its own internet without depending on foreign companies. The government has been working on this for some time. This year, they made websites like YouTube very slow, so it was hard to use them.
Russia might even block big websites like Amazon Web Services (AWS) in the future. They have also blocked many VPNs, so people cannot easily get around the rules.
Russia also wants to build its own internet network, as many foreign websites have told people in Russia to stop using their services. This is because these companies don’t agree with Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Why do countries limit the internet?
Countries like China and Russia block websites to control the information people see. They want to make sure people only hear what the government says.
This can stop people from sharing different ideas, which is not fair. Everyone should be able to see different information and share their thoughts.
Sometimes, countries also block websites to protect their culture or stop harmful things from spreading online.
