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Since February 22, Russia has blocked hundreds of websites and services, causing nation-wide distress as well as outcry from advocates of free speech. Russia’s latest cyber blockade is focused around, but not limited to, streaming services and news outlets.
According to statements made by Russian officials, the bans are being implemented to counter the spread of fake news and rumors created online.
Russians lost access to many of their favorite websites and services. It’s worth noting that most of the news outlets and social media websites have been blocked by the Russian state itself, rather than the service provider – although that is also the case in some instances. Even some of the Russian websites are banned in Europe. Here is a list of some of the most popular websites and services currently inaccessible in Russia.
What social media is banned in Russia?
Service / Website | Blocked by | Blocked on |
Russia | March 4, 2022- Source | |
Russia | March 4, 2022- Source | |
TikTok | Service owner | March 7 ,2022- Source |
Line | Russia | Apr 28, 2017 – Source |
Russia | May 8, 2017 – Source | |
Russia | May 17, 2017 – Source | |
Signal | Russia | March 3, 2022 – Source |
Russia | March 3, 2022 – Source |
Streaming services blocked in Russia
Service / Website | Blocked by | Blocked on |
Netflix | Service owner | Mar 7, 2022- Source |
DailyMotion | Service owner | Jan 27, 2017- Source |
YouTube | Service owner | Mar 7, 2022 – Source |
Disney | Service owner | Mar 1, 2022 – Source |
Warner Brothers/HBO | Service owner | Mar 1, 2022 – Source |
Paramount Pictures | Russia | Mar 1, 2022 – Source |
Sony | Service owner | Mar 1, 2022 – Source |
Twitch | Service owner | Mar 7, 2022 – Source |
AppleTV+ | Service owner | Mar 7, 2022 – Source |
News websites and services blocked in Russia
Service / Website | Blocked by | Blocked on |
BBC | Russia | Mar 4, 2022 – Source |
Deutsche Welle | Russia | Mar 4, 2022 – Source |
Maduza | Russia | Mar 3, 2022 – Source |
Radio Free Europe | Russia | Mar 4, 2022 – Source |
Agentstvo | Russia | Mar 5, 2022 – Source |
Snob.ru | Russia | Mar 5, 2022 – Source |
Republic | Russia | Mar 5, 2022 – Source |
Mediazona | Russia | Mar 5, 2022 – Source |
NPR | Russia | Mar 21, 2022 – Source |
Globalnews.ca | Russia | May 18, 2022 – Source |
Voice of America | Russia | Mar 4, 2022 – Source |
Online payments and cryptocurrency services blocked in Russia
Service / Website | Blocked by | Blocked on |
PayPal | Service owner | March 5, 2022 – Source |
LocalBitcoins | Russia | Oct 16, 2020 – Source |
Cointelegraph | Russia | Oct 16, 2020 – Source |
Binance | Russia | Sep 24, 2020 – Source |
BestChange | Russia | Aug 26, 2020- Source |
VISA | Service owner | Mar 5, 2022- Source |
MasterCard | Service owner | Mar 5, 2022 – Source |
Apple Pay | Russia | Mar 27, 2022 – Source |
Coinbase | Service owner | Mar 8, 2022 – Source |
Kraken | Service owner | Oct 20, 2022 – Source |
Other services blocked in Russia
Service / Website | Blocked by | Blocked on |
deviantart.com | Russia | Aug 5, 2014 |
ej.ru | Russia | Mar 13, 2014 |
flibusta.is | Russia | Sep 22, 2016 |
nicovideo.jp | Russia | Oct 23, 2019 – Source |
williamhill.com | Service owner | Sep 29, 2016 – Source |
zello.com | Russia | Apr 12, 2017 – Source |
ProtonMail | Russia | Jan 29, 2020 – Source |
StartMail | Russia | Jan 22, 2020 – Source |
Canva | Service owner | Jun 1, 2022 –Source |
Pixabay | Service owner | Jun 2, 2022 – Source |
Soundcloud | Service owner | Jun 2, 2022 – Source |
Depositphotos | Service owner | March 7, 2022 – Source |
How to access blocked websites and services
Are you in Russia and want to access these websites and services? With the right tools, you can. All you need is to change your IP address to another country.
When you access any website, your IP address reveals your location to the website. Your location determines if you would be able to access the website or not.
A VPN can help you change your location by masking your real IP address with a new one based on the location of your choice. Just connect to a VPN, choose a new location, and easily access these websites and services.
Regain online freedom with a premium VPN
When choosing a VPN service, it’s important to understand what features the VPN is offering. Most free VPN services claim to unblock the internet. Free VPNs, however, are not just ineffective, but also extremely dangerous to your digital privacy and online security.
A premiere service like PureVPN is the safest and most reliable one that can provide instant access to any website or service unavailable in your region.
Here is how you can access any website or service with PureVPN:
- Sign up for PureVPN
- Get PureVPN for your device
- Launch the app, connect, and change location
That’s it! You can now access your favorite content without any limitations and restrictions. For more details on how to access different websites and services click here.
Concluding thoughts
War is inhumane. So does the exploitation of digital rights. When the nation cuts off from the services from around the world, that means that something is wrong and must be stopped. Being open to digital choices is our right and despite the war, we must not be deprived of it. Say NO to War, say NO to digital barriers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Whatsapp is banned in Russia now. It was the only Meta product that was not banned in Russia when all Meta products got banned.
Yes, many people switched to Viber after the Ukraine-Russian war, as they thought Whatsapp would also be banned in the country.
No, Google was not blocked in Russia but was fined several times. Google is available for many users, but some have reported lags, despite its Russian subsidiary claiming bankruptcy.
Russians have banned many things worldwide, but other countries have put sanctions to stand against war.