As Putin imposes an internet blackout, Russians are showing signs of frustration

Kisiev, 31, said local activists have applied to hold rallies in 17 regions across Russia. They were all denied, he said, including those who had been granted permission in the first place. Separately, protest monitoring group OVD-Info reported that at least 20 people were arrested across Russia for protesting against digital restrictions on Sunday. The group also reported the detention before Sunday of people who tried to apply for a protest.

Protests can show those who disagree with the restrictions “that there are other like-minded people,” Kisiev said.

NBC News reached out to more than a dozen Russians to ask what they thought of the protest calls. Many did not respond, while others refused to speak, without giving a reason.

Earlier this year, some Russians said they feared the Kremlin was preparing the public for a “North Korean” internet model, heavily controlled and censored by the government. “I don’t think Russian society will accept this,” Kisiev said, given how important the Internet is to the lives of millions of people in the country.

Russian authorities have said the shutdown of mobile internet is necessary to stop Ukrainian drone attacks, and that Telegram has become a breeding ground for terrorism.

These reasons are “absurd,” says Kisiev, while the real motive seems obvious to him. “The government is killing the Internet on purpose so that users do not use foreign services and get more information,” he said.

‘Take back the internet’

Russian authorities have touted the merits of life without the internet, saying it’s an opportunity for a “digital detox” and more face-to-face interaction.

A popular game show that aired on a Russian state TV channel as calls for protests grew earlier this month featured a children’s choir, dancing enthusiastically and singing in a way that didn’t require the Internet. “The monitor’s blue screen won’t ruin my dinner,” they rowed.

But despite this effort from the Kremlin, there is a strong public desire for a way to vent frustration about the growing restrictions, said politician Boris Nadezhdin, who tried to run for president against Putin in 2024 and whose campaign was chaired by Kisiev.

Nadezhdin said in a telephone interview that he supports the protests and has personally appealed to authorities in the capital and the wider Moscow region for gatherings of up to 10,000 people. All his applications have been rejected due to concerns about Covid-19, he said.

“The slogans are clear,” said Nadezhdin. “Bring back the Internet, bring back Telegram, we don’t need your MAX,” he said, referring to the so-called national messenger according to the Russians imposed by the Kremlin. Critics say the app could be used for mass surveillance.

Taxi driver Alexey Popov filed a protest against internet censorship in his hometown of Yakutsk in Siberia. It was originally approved on March 30, but that approval was later revoked, Popov, 27, told NBC News. A rejection letter from municipal officials, seen by NBC News, said Popov would not be able to hold the meeting on any given day because of the event’s “massive attention” from “destructive people.”