In this podcast (in French, for France Inter), journalist Xavier de la Porte explores the radical transformation of the Russian internet since the 2010s, with insights from Francesca Musiani, ClaimSov member and CNRS researcher. This analysis reveals how Russia has progressively isolated its internet from the rest of the world in the name of « digital sovereignty. »
Until the early 2010s, the Russian internet was comparable to Western models, characterized by a strong entrepreneurial dynamic. Platforms like VKontakte (created in 2006) and the Yandex search engine (1997) testified to this vitality. The shift occurred with the December 2011 protests against Putin’s regime, organized primarily through social media. Faced with this protest, the authorities became aware of the internet’s subversive potential and began a methodical takeover. As Francesca Musiani explains, this realization was twofold: defensive, to protect itself from the internet, but also offensive, to make it a tool of control.
A Multidimensional Control Strategy
The takeover is taking place at all levels of the digital infrastructure. First, through physical isolation, with the construction of national Internet Exchange Points and dedicated digital routes to Asia. Then, through control of services: VKontakte fell under the control of oligarchs close to the government in 2014, forcing its founder, Pavel Durov, into exile. The war in Ukraine accelerated this process with the adoption of laws criminalizing « fake news » (punishable by up to 15 years in prison) and the blocking of Western platforms like Facebook and X.
Digital sovereignty, a global issue that is fragmenting the internet
Beyond the Russian case, the series questions the very concept of digital sovereignty, claimed by Russia, Europe, and the United States alike. Francesca Musiani points out that the European Union, through regulations such as the GDPR, the AI Act, and the Data Governance Act, also contributes to this fragmentation of the internet, even if for democratic reasons. The 2013 Snowden affair legitimized this race for sovereignty, with each state now claiming the right to control « its » internet.
Resistance and Possible Alternatives
Despite this bleak picture, glimmers of hope remain. In Russia, cybersecurity training programs are developing clandestinely to circumvent surveillance. Globally, projects like Wikipedia and federated social networks (Mastodon, BlueSky) still embody the ideal of a decentralized and community-based internet. Francesca Musiani reminds us that this fragmentation is not irreversible, but requires constant vigilance: the internet is not inherently democratic; it becomes what societies make of it.