Why Is Russia Planning to Cut Off the Internet?

Edition No197 | 22-07-2025 - Putin is tightening the digital noose in Russia, as the crackdown on the internet intensifies. We explore What It Signals in this episode. The Kremlin isn’t just at war with Ukraine — it’s at war with its own population, and the internet itself. Connectivity blackouts are plaguing regions of Russia, and now spyware is being installed on every internet capable device. The Victory Day disconnections of internet coverage were just a foretaste of the censorship and control that is rapidly approaching. The edges are emerging of what promises to be a terrifying blueprint for new a “digital gulag.” But this isn’t just about censorship. It’s about what Russia might be preparing for next — why the regime has such a sense of urgency to gain control of the Russian internet, and what that means for Ukraine and for the rest of us.----------DESCRIPTION:Putin's Digital Gulag: Why Russia is Shutting Down its InternetIn this episode of Silicon Bites, we delve into Vladimir Putin's aggressive efforts to control and restrict internet access in Russia. We explore the Kremlin's increasing crackdown on digital freedom and what it means for Russia's population, the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, and potential geopolitical ramifications. Key points include the intensification of censorship, the spread of spyware on consumer devices, and the Kremlin's urgency to isolate the Russian internet by autumn 2025. We also discuss possible reasons behind this rapid digital suppression including further mobilization, preparing for war with NATO, economic collapse, or autocratic whims. Discover how these unprecedented moves might signify a strategy to escalate the war or manage looming internal and external crises.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------CHAPTERS:00:00 Introduction: Putin's Attempt to Break the Internet00:30 The Digital Noose Tightens01:26 The Big Digital Squeeze03:00 Technical Details of the Crackdown04:24 Spyware and the Digital Gulag05:52 Hypotheses Behind the Crackdown10:10 The Autumn Trap: Why Now?11:39 Conclusion: The Global Implications----------SOURCES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx3hF3Yk2rYhttps://jamestown.org/program/russia-ramps-up-internet-censorship/https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-cut-internet-access-victory-day-ukraine-drone-strikes-putin-2025-5https://www.thetimes.com/world/russia-ukraine-war/article/putin-moscow-whatsapp-ban-plan-max-app-launch-b789tt6tshttps://united24media.com/latest-news/putins-new-orders-could-reshape-russian-internet-heres-whats-next-10019https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-kremlin-instagram-atms-ukraine-b2791385.htmlhttps://meduza.io/en/feature/2025/07/07/mapping-russia-s-internet-blackoutshttps://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/07/01/russia-to-disconnect-foreigners-who-have-not-submitted-biometric-data-from-mobile-internet-a89635https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/07/17/russia-internet-censorship/https://www.kyivpost.com/post/56473https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-03/russian-internet-outages-soar-as-kremlin-boosts-wartime-controls----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------