Vladimir Putin attacked

GAFAM again

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Mikhail Klimentyev / TASS / Sipa USA / SIPA

The Russian president denounced this Wednesday the giants of the Internet, judging that they are "already in de facto competition with the States", during a video speech at the Davos forum.

“Where is the line between the success of a global company with popular services (…) and attempts to brutally control, at their own discretion, the company?

", Noted Vladimir Poutine, stressing that this limit had been crossed and that the" fundamental human rights "had been violated.

"We just saw all this in the United States," added the Russian president, who appeared to refer to the blocking of the Twitter account of former US President Donald Trump, following the deadly assault by some of his supporters against the Capitol, January 6.

Towards internet censorship?

In a country where, unlike traditional media, the internet remains relatively free, many young Russians are increasingly getting information from platforms such as YouTube.

Videos of web stars like Yuri Doud, known for his punchy documentaries, or the opponent Alexeï Navalny, garner tens of millions of views.

In response, the authorities have started in recent years to tighten up the “runet” (Russian Internet) in the name of the fight against extremism, terrorism and the protection of minors.

Catch-all concepts according to detractors of the regime, who see in them attempts at censorship.

Russian diplomacy also attacking GAFAM

Russian telecommunications gendarme Roskomnadzor reacted last week to the wave of content favorable to Alexeï Navalny by threatening social networks with fines, where there were massive calls for demonstrations in support of the opponent, arrested on his return from 'Germany, where he recovered for five months following an alleged poisoning attempt.

On Wednesday, the director general of TikTok in Russia was invited to the Duma (lower house of the Russian parliament) on the eve of a meeting of the commission of inquiry into foreign interference.

Russian diplomacy, for its part, denounced this Monday "interference" in Russian internal affairs by American internet giants after opposition demonstrations which brought together tens of thousands of people across Russia on Saturday.

World

Navalny affair: After the protests, Moscow denounces the role of the American embassy and Internet giants

  • Vladimir Poutine

  • Internet

  • Russia

  • World

  • Gafa