Several Russian web service suppliers are stopping customers contained in the nation from accessing Google News after Russian generals accused a mercenary chief, Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, of making an attempt a coup.
At least 5 telecommunications corporations — together with Rostelecom, U-LAN and Telplus — have blocked Google News, which aggregates news from numerous sources, in keeping with an evaluation from NetBlocks, an web observatory. Several different web service suppliers have begun decreasing entry as properly, in keeping with the evaluation.
Google didn’t instantly reply to a request for a remark.
Late Friday, Russian officers accused Mr. Prigozhin, the chief of the Wagner Group, a mercenary group, of attempting to mount a coup in opposition to President Vladimir V. Putin, with Russian authorities opening an investigation into Mr. Prigozhin for “organizing an armed rebellion.”
Russia’s web regulator, Roskomnadzor, mentioned in March 2022 that it will block Google News from the nation’s web customers after the corporate paused promoting in Russia and took steps to dam on-line content material that unfold false info to assist Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Roskomnadzor is an element of a bigger tech equipment that Mr. Putin has constructed over time to exert management by means of know-how channels. Apart from tightly supervising Russia’s web, authorities additionally use a home spying system that intercepts cellphone calls and web site visitors, unfold on-line disinformation campaigns and hack different nations’ authorities programs.
After Russia invaded Ukraine final 12 months, many Western know-how corporations pulled their providers and merchandise out of Russia or have been blocked. TikTok and Netflix suspended their providers within the nation. Facebook was blocked. Twitter was partly blocked and Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco and others pulled again or withdrew solely.
Source: www.nytimes.com