Publication of Evgenii Diskin's article "What's Left to Block? Analysis and Prospects of Foreign Platforms in Russia"

The journal "Zakon" (No 1, January 2025) published an article by Evgenii Diskin, Senior Researcher at the International Laboratory for Digital Transformation in Public Administration at IGMU HSE University, dedicated to the analysis of the blocking of foreign Internet platforms in Russia and the prospects for their further operation.

Evgenii Diskin examines the effectiveness of government policy in regulating access to internet resources. The author analyzes the latest initiatives of Roskomnadzor related to the collection of data on user equipment, as stipulated by the new regulatory act of Roskomnadzor, and raises the issue of the need for such initiatives to comply with the constitutional guarantees of privacy of correspondence.

In particular, the author notes contradictions between official explanations from Roskomnadzor and the text of the draft order and also points to the lack of a clear strategic vision in the blocking policy. Evgenii Diskin emphasizes that blocking should be aimed at compelling foreign resources to comply with Russian legislation – if government policy in this area does not achieve the necessary results, then its effectiveness is insufficient, and the corresponding regulatory framework should be revised. The article also raises the question of the possible consequences of further tightening of control, including the prosecution of users who circumvent blocking.

The article calls for a rethinking of existing measures to influence foreign internet platforms and the development of a clear strategy that takes into account the interests of both the state and users.