In the last decade, Russia has embarked on a troubling journey toward digital isolation, cutting itself off from the West and increasingly relying on China. This move is not just about technology but about something far more sinister—Russia is adopting China’s infamous methods of propaganda, censorship, and control to suppress its population. The consequences are severe, with rising cybersecurity risks, widespread human rights abuses, and a stifling of free expression that paints a grim picture of the future.
The Beginning of Russia’s Digital Isolation
The seeds of Russia’s digital isolation were sown in the late 2000s and early 2010s when the Kremlin began to view the internet as a potential threat to its control. Events such as the 2008 Russo-Georgian War and the 2014 Euromaidan Revolution in Ukraine, both of which were significantly influenced by social media and online communication, made the Russian government increasingly wary of the internet’s power. Where the West saw the internet as a tool for democracy and openness, the Kremlin began to see it as “a two-sided coin—a weapon to be exploited and a threat to regime security that demanded clampdowns, security, and autarky.”
In 2014, President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia must “lessen our critical dependence on foreign technology,” setting the stage for a decade of policies aimed at fostering domestic technology development. However, these efforts have been plagued by corruption, mismanagement, and underinvestment, leading to mixed results. While Russia made some progress in developing its own technology, such as the Astra Linux operating system, many initiatives failed, leaving the country increasingly isolated from global technological advancements.
This isolation was further exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Western sanctions, combined with the exodus of at least 100,000 IT workers by the end of that year, crippled Russia’s technological capabilities. The country was left scrambling for resources, turning to China for support, which deepened its digital dependence on Beijing.
A Descent into Chinese-Style Censorship
Russia’s growing reliance on China extends beyond technology. The Kremlin is increasingly adopting China’s methods of internet control and censorship, methods that are notorious for their effectiveness in suppressing dissent and controlling the population. According to leaked documents, Russian officials have been actively seeking advice from their Chinese counterparts on how to replicate China’s “Great Firewall,” a sophisticated system that restricts access to information and monitors online behavior.
For example, during closed-door meetings between Russian and Chinese officials in 2017 and 2019, Russian authorities sought guidance on how to disrupt circumvention tools like VPNs and Tor, crack encrypted internet traffic, and regulate online messaging platforms. These discussions reveal a disturbing truth: Russia is not merely borrowing technology from China; it is learning how to tighten its grip on its people by controlling what they can see and say online.
“2017 was a crucial time that decided what direction to take Russia’s Internet towards,” said Andrei Soldatov, a Russian investigative journalist. “It was this period when Russia was looking at how to build the more sophisticated system that it now has in place and it looks like the Russians learned something about how to do this from the Chinese.”
The Grim Reality of Russia’s Censorship
The impact of Russia’s digital isolation and its adoption of Chinese-style censorship is already being felt by Russian citizens. The government has blocked access to major social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and has imposed heavy fines on platforms that refuse to comply with its demands. In 2019, Russia enacted a “sovereign internet” law, allowing the Kremlin to route web traffic through state-controlled infrastructure, effectively giving the government the power to cut off Russia from the global internet.
These measures have led to a significant erosion of internet freedom in Russia. Freedom House’s most recent “Freedom on the Net” report paints a bleak picture: “Russia is close behind [China], deploying eight of the nine tools to limit the free internet.” These tools include blocking social media, technical attacks against government critics, and the arrest and imprisonment of bloggers who dare to speak out against the government. The report warns that “internet freedom declined for the 13th year in a row,” with Russia playing a leading role in this global trend.
One of the most alarming aspects of Russia’s censorship is the use of new laws to silence dissent. For instance, in March 2022, Russia introduced laws criminalizing the “discrediting” or “knowingly spreading false information” about the military. This has led to the imprisonment of individuals who criticize the Ukraine invasion on social media or news sites. This mirrors China’s tactics, where citizens face severe legal and extralegal repercussions for expressing themselves online.
The Cybersecurity Nightmare
Russia’s reliance on Chinese technology also poses significant cybersecurity risks. Many Chinese tech products, such as those from Huawei, are known to have vulnerabilities that could be exploited by foreign powers. Russia’s dependence on Chinese semiconductors, which accounted for nearly 90% of global chip exports to Russia in 2022, further exposes the country to potential espionage and cyberattacks.
Moreover, Russia’s isolation from Western technological expertise is leaving the country increasingly vulnerable. As Russian cybersecurity talent continues to flee the country, the government is forced to rely on domestic developers who may lack the necessary skills to secure Russia’s digital infrastructure. The use of systems like Astra Linux, which is widely used in Russian military and intelligence systems, introduces additional vulnerabilities that could be exploited by adversaries.
The Dark Path Ahead
The consequences of Russia’s digital isolation and its embrace of Chinese-style censorship are dire. Russian citizens are increasingly cut off from the global flow of information, making it easier for the government to control narratives and suppress dissent. The tightening grip on the internet is leading to a surge in human rights abuses, as people face legal repercussions for expressing themselves online.
For the Kremlin, the goal of “tech independence” is becoming a hollow victory. While the government may celebrate its growing isolation from the West and its construction of domestic software registries, the reality is that Russia’s dependence on China spells anything but independence. The country is becoming a digital satellite of Beijing, with all the attendant risks and dangers that come with that relationship.
Russia’s digital isolation and its descent into Chinese-style propaganda and censorship represent a dangerous trajectory that threatens both the rights of Russian citizens and the country’s cybersecurity. As Russia cuts ties with the West and deepens its reliance on China, the consequences for the Russian people—and the world—are likely to be severe.
It is already the case that Russia is heavily dependent on China for trade and financial transactions. Merging propaganda operations with China could have unintended consequences. Imagine having your information systems infiltrate by the sinister Chinese Communist Party with the resources of a country of over a billion people.