Propaganda, tracking and censorship: Putin's reign has turned the Russian Federation into "digital gulag" - AP

According to human rights defenders, in 2022, more than 610,000 websites and 779 were blocked or removed by the authorities for comments and publications on the network. Many Russians are becoming more difficult to evade the close attention of the authorities and special services, as they actively monitor social networks and use surveillance cameras against activists. About it writes Associated Press.

Human rights activists say that Russia President Vladimir Putin has begun to use digital technologies for tracking, censorship and control of the population, creating what some call "cyberglag". "The Kremlin has indeed become a beneficiary of digitalization and uses all the opportunities for state propaganda, to monitor people, to deanonymize Internet users," said Sarkis Darbinan, Head of Legal Practice "Roskomsvoboda".

It is reported that after Russia has started a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, online censorship and persecution for reports and comments on social networks increased so much that they have broken all existing records. According to the Net Freedoms Rights Protection Group, in 2022, more than 610,000 web pages were blocked or removed by the authorities - the highest annual figure in 15 years - and 779 people were criminally liable for comments and publications.

"Users of any social network should not feel safe," said the head of the group Damir Gaynutdinov. We will remind that on May 23 the State Duma intensified the rules of departure of citizens from Russia. New amendments to the law will allow citizens to withdraw a foreign passport in a number of cases, including if a Russian citizen passes military service. It was also reported that on May 20, the SBU revealed 12 more supporters of the Russian World.