Moscow seeks to limit internet to state-approved websites amid ongoing outages

Russian authorities are moving to tighten their grip on internet access by introducing a system that limits users to a government-approved list of websites and services amid ongoing internet shutdowns, according to local media reports.

Mobile internet in Moscow has been intermittently disrupted since March 6, with some areas still experiencing outages, local reports say. Authorities in St. Petersburg have also warned residents this week to expect similar disruptions.

Officials have said the measures are intended to protect against Ukrainian drone attacks. Similar restrictions have previously been imposed in other regions of Russia.

Under the “whitelist” system, only pre-approved Russian platforms — including social media, marketplaces, taxi and delivery apps, telecom services and government websites — remain accessible when mobile internet is restricted. The list was first compiled last year but appears to have only recently become operational, according to Russian newspaper Kommersant,

Russian authorities have not publicly confirmed the rollout. However, Forbes journalists in Moscow reported that approved services remained available even as broader connectivity was disrupted.

While officials have not disclosed technical details, Russian media say the system relies on traffic-filtering technology known as deep packet inspection (DPI), which allows telecom providers to block most internet activity while permitting access to specific services. 

To qualify for inclusion, companies must meet strict requirements, according to previous reports by Kommersant, including routing traffic through Russian infrastructure, hosting servers domestically and ensuring users cannot conceal their IP addresses.

The recent internet disruptions in Russia have had an economic impact. Analysts estimate that five days of outages could cost Moscow businesses up to 5 billion rubles ($60 million), with courier services, taxis, car-sharing platforms and retailers among the hardest hit.

The outages have also pushed some residents to rely on alternative means of communication, such as landline phones, while demand for physical maps has increased, local media reported.

The whitelist system comes alongside a broader crackdown on digital communications. Authorities have already restricted voice calls over messaging apps such as Telegram and WhatsApp, citing fraud concerns, and have signaled that further limits — including potential bans — could follow.

The measures reflect Moscow’s long-standing ambition to build a sovereign internet, known as the “Runet,” capable of operating independently from global networks. That push has accelerated since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as many Western tech giants, including Apple, Microsoft and Google, suspended or restricted their services in the country, urging users and businesses to switch to Russian alternatives.