"Digital Kremlin": Power and the Internet in Russia
The Russian Internet, which has undergone considerable development in the last decade, remains subject to constant scrutiny from the Kremlin. Digital technology has posed a challenge to the governance and political legitimacy of the ruling class, which has been anticipated by President Medvedev.
In a bid for technological independence from the major information technology players (American firms for the most part), the Russian government is seeking to fragment the web to extract from it a Russian component, facilitating the establishment of subtle state regulation. This "russification" of the web ties the private sector closely to state initiatives, and will be something to watch carefully in the run-up to presidential elections in 2012.
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"Digital Kremlin": Power and the Internet in Russia
Julien NOCETTI
Associate Fellow, Russia/Eurasia Center and Center for Geopolitics of Technology, Ifri
Russia/Eurasia Center
Founded in 2005 within Ifri, the Russia/Eurasia Center conducts research and organizes debates on Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the South Caucasus. Its goal is to understand and anticipate the evolution of this complex and rapidly changing geographical area in order to enrich public discourse in France and Europe and to assist in strategic, political, and economic decision-making.
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