Statement by the Yabloko Federal Bureau, 22.10.2025

Photo by Anatoly Zhdanov, Kommersant

We declare resolute protest and rejection of the policy of systematic, unlawful and disproportionate restriction of the digital rights and freedoms of citizens of the Russian Federation, carried out under the pretext of “ensuring information security”.

Recently, the actions of the federal executive body — Roskomnadzor [Federal Supervision Agency for Information Technologies, Communications and Mass Media] — have acquired the format of total censorship and digital isolation of the country. Key digital services that millions of Russians use for everyday communication, obtaining information, conducting businesses and professional activities have been jeopardised.

The blocking of voice and video call capabilities in messengers, as well as systematic restriction of WhatsApp and Telegram operation in Russia, constitute a gross intrusion into the right “to seek, receive, transmit, produce and disseminate information by any lawful means” guaranteed by Article 29 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. These services provide the following:

– Provide communication with family and friends, especially for people living in different regions of the country and abroad.
– Are critically important for professional communication, including for remote workers and international business.
– Provide access to emergency information and means of communication in situations when traditional telephone communication may be unavailable.

We consider the facts of restricting YouTube’s operation on the territory of the Russian Federation a direct violation of Article 29 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which guarantees freedom of mass media and prohibits censorship. YouTube is not simply a video hosting platform, but a crucial tool for the following:

– Education: The platform hosts thousands of educational channels, lectures from leading universities and scientific courses.
– Culture and art: It is a platform for Russian musicians, directors, bloggers and artists whose work reaches a global audience.
– Access to information: For dozens of millions of citizens, YouTube has become an alternative source of news and analysis, complementing official state media.
– Economic activity: Dozens of thousands of small and medium-sized businesses, self-employed individuals and freelancers use the platform to earn income and promote their goods and services.

Blocking YouTube is an act targeted against one’s own people, leading to impoverishment of the information space, and cultural and intellectual degradation.

Statements about “fighting fraud” and “protecting sovereignty” [via blocking messangers and platforms] are used by the authorities as a smokescreen for establishing total control over citizens’ private lives and suppressing any forms of dissent.

We demand an immediate cessation of any actions aimed at restricting the operation of YouTube, WhatsApp, Telegram and other social networks and messengers on the territory of the Russian Federation, and bringing Roskomnadzor’s activities into strict compliance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation and international human rights norms.

We propose that the State Duma of the Russian Federation repeal repressive legislation that allows uncontrolled restriction of access to information resources and violation of the freedom to seek, receive, transmit, produce and disseminate information.

We appeal to the Public Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation with a demand to conduct a review of the legality and constitutionality of Roskomnadzor’s decisions on blockages and restrictions.

The Yabloko Federal Bureau warns that the policy of digital isolation leads the country into a dead end. It throws Russia back decades, depriving its citizens and economy of competitive advantages in the global world. We will use all lawful means, up to organising public pressure and legal protection, so that to overturn these anti-people decisions.

We call on all citizens of Russia, public organisations and professional communities to unite in defence of our common digital freedoms. Russia’s future lies in openness, freedom and competition, not behind a digital iron curtain.

Nikolai Rybakov
Yabloko Chairman