Kremlin

Since the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine in late February 2022, Russian internet users have experienced what has been dubbed the descent of a “digital iron curtain.”Russian authorities blocked access to all major opposition news sites, as well as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Under the new draconian laws purporting to combat fake news about the Russian-Ukrainian war, internet users have faced administrative and criminal charges for allegedly spreading online disinformation about Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Most…

Photo: Justin Sullivan (Getty Images)A number of Silicon Valley darlings are in hot water with Russian authorities for violating the country’s data protection laws, which Those companies—Twitch, Pinterest, Google, and Airbnb—were all fined by a Moscow court on Tuesday for allegedly failing to to store the data they had on Russian citizens within the county. While the Telegram announcement from the court’s press service doesn’t name the exact fines these companies will be facing, it notes that “repeated violations” of the…

ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA—For years, President Vladimir Putin used an annual economic conference here to champion Russia’s economic appeal to the world.In 2010, then-French President Nicolas Sarkozy spoke alongside Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s president at the time. Past attendees included Citigroup Inc.’s Vikram Pandit, JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s Jamie Dimon…

China's market share in the Russian smartphone market jumped significantly in May as manufacturers like Apple and Samsung paused new sales in Russia and Western sanctions weighed on the Russian economy. Chinese manufacturers Xiaomi, Realme and Honor accounted for 42% of Russia's smartphone sales in May 2022, according to data from mobile network MTS shared with Reuters, - up from 28% during the same month last year. South Korea's Samsung lost its spot as the market leader, with 14% of devices sold versus 28% last year,…

VK has become a major beneficiary of Russia’s recent ban on its competitors. In March, the platform reached a record 50 million daily users, becoming the country’s most popular social media site after Facebook and Instagram were blocked. VK’s newsfeed views jumped 24 percent and video views surged 15 percent in the first month of the war, according to Moscow-based data company Brand Analytics. VK has also been actively chasing its competitors’ clients, publishing a step-by-step guide for businesses about how to migrate…

The European Union is struggling to finalize the terms of an oil embargo on Russia amid resistance by Hungary, whose leader claimed Friday that the proposed embargo would hit his economy like an atomic bomb.Prime Minister Viktor Orban has long cultivated close ties with Moscow and hasn’t joined other EU and North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries in trying to arm Ukraine. He is insisting on more time and EU money if Hungary is to join the rest of the bloc in transitioning away from…