Correspondent Iris de Graaf about how Russians experience the developments:
“Russians are almost always online. Instagram, YouTube and Facebook are an important part of everyday life. Well-known Russian influencers have tens of millions of followers and connect people from all over the country, especially the rest of the world. For many young Russians, social media is their source of income.
Social media was also used as a platform where people kept each other somewhat critical and socially involved; of sharing political memes to the call to participate in demonstrations. It was a window to the world; to get a look at what’s happening outside of Russia, and to show what’s happening in Russia.
That changes because of the hard crackdown from the authorities and restricting online freedom. Posting criticism on social media can have major consequences. There is also uncertainty as to whether it is still allowed to have the Instagram and Facebook app on your phone, which may be seen as an ‘extremist act’. The police also check telephones in the streets and subways for ‘prohibited’ content. So people these days think twice before posting at all.”
–
