Russia is now imposing a 24-hour internet blackout on SIM cards entering the country, claiming the move is to help stop raids by Ukrainian drones—though some commentators think there might be ulterior motives.
According to the country’s Ministry for Digital Development, if a user’s SIM card enters the country from abroad, they’ll now need to wait a full day to access the internet, unless they solve a CAPTCHA or call their telecom operator to verify their identity. SIM card “cooling” will also impact SIM cards that have been inactive for more than 72 hours.
As The Record reports, the ministry says the move will “ensure the safety of Russian citizens,” as SIM cards with mobile internet can be placed inside enemy drones and used for navigation.
Some sources have questioned whether Ukrainian drones actually require mobile internet to function. Meduza, an independent Russian publication, highlights that modern drones aren’t controlled directly via mobile internet, and don’t need an active SIM card to fly. However, they may use SIM card-based transmissions for tasks such as data collection and recording routes, to refine future strikes.
Russia’s authoritarian approach to the internet has intensified since the war began in 2022, with the government attempting to steer people away from encrypted, foreign-owned messaging services like WhatsApp toward approved domestic alternatives, such as the messaging app Max. Last year, Russia intentionally reduced load times on YouTube following the deletion of channels featuring Russian public figures.
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New mobile internet shutdowns are continuing to appear. Residents of the Russian city of Ulyanovsk were recently informed that mobile internet would be shut down until the end of the war, although some government-approved websites would remain accessible.
Some commentators, such as the digital rights group Access Now, argue that Russia’s internet shutdowns are politically motivated, rather than a wartime necessity. For example, it shut down the internet during national holidays such as Victory Day to suppress unwanted political speech on social media. An infographic from Meduza outlined that the places most impacted by internet blackouts were in some cases hundreds or even thousands of miles away from the country’s borders with Ukraine.
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