1/ As the Russian government's strangulation of the Internet deepens, Russian businesses are waking up to the long-feared reality of the so-called 'Cheburnet' – a walled-off national intranet for only selected companies and services. Economic disaster is forecast. ⬇️
2/ 'Cheburnet' (a portmenteau of 'Internet' and the iconic Soviet/Russian children's character Cheburashka) is the standard, sardonic Russian term for the government's long-held ambition to create a North Korea-style 'sovereign Internet', walled off from the outside world.
3/ Unlike North Korea or China, which never had uncensored access to the global Internet and have built their online economies and infrastructure accordingly, Russia is suddenly being wrenched onto the path of a closed national intranet.
4/ Nothing like this has happened before to any advanced economy with a high degree of digitalisation. Not surprising, it is proving massively disruptive, prompting protests from even normally non-political Russians amidst dire warnings of the economic damage it is causing.
5/ Lara Rzhondovskaya, the Editor-in-Chief of Novoe. Media, highlights these dangers in a commentary on her 'Dear Persimmon' Telegram channel:
"Well, the internet is finally moving from being a “living environment” to a “scheduled ration.”
6/ "Whitelisting isn't just about cutting off your access, it's also about graciously leaving a couple of approved sites so you don't starve and can keep nodding happily.
A digital feeding trough, if you will.
7/ "Previously, they tried to "restrict" the internet in Russia. Now they've started treating it as a handout. Feel the difference.
8/ "This isn't about blocking or VPN quests anymore—it's a fundamentally different architectural model: everything is prohibited except for what's specifically approved. It's like an App Store, only without the "leave the circus" button.
9/ "And the most paradoxical thing is that it's presented as a concern.
Security, stability, all that stuff.
But for some reason, amid this “stability,” people’s payments fail, taxis won’t come, services crash, and businesses reliant on external tools simply grind to a halt.
10/ "Apparently, this is what a healthy economy looks like—with a slight touch of schizophrenia.
11/ "Business in general is in for a treat right now. The 21st-century economy, let me remind you, is built on connectivity: clouds, APIs, international services, logistics, online payments.
12/ "And then they tell you, "Sorry, dear, but you're now working in a local sandbox. The global internet is as bad for you as gluten." And so the entrepreneur is no longer scaling, but surviving. Not growing, but looking for where things haven't fallen apart yet.
13/ "And this isn’t just an isolated incident. It’s simply the next layer in a carefully spiraling vortex of madness. Over the past few months, we’ve been consistently told that a normal internet is a luxury.
14/ "First, “temporary” mass blackouts, then “targeted” filtering, then pressure on platforms, then a surprise—you now have a list of permitted sites. Step by step, without any sudden movements, so the frog doesn’t jump out of the pot.
15/ "Only the frog, it seems, has already begun to suspect something.
16/ "Because when it’s not just “politics somewhere out there,” but the familiar infrastructure of daily life simply isn’t working—it starts to infuriate not only the most apolitical, but also the most loyal citizens.
17/ "When you can't work normally, pay, communicate, and generally live without the feeling of being held on a short digital leash—patience suddenly runs out.
18/ "The effect is reinforced by fraudulent property sales, [slaughtering] cows, recycling fees, VAT, and other "joys" of life.
And that's where the saddest part begins. Because people with brains, money, and opportunities in such conditions usually do the same thing.
19/ "They don't go to rallies, no. They pack their bags. And there's a very non-zero probability that a new wave of emigration will turn out to be no weaker than in 2022.
20/ "Simply because an ideology can be supported, not supported, or ignored altogether, but the broken internet, on which your entire life (and often the well-being of your family) depends, is no longer an option.
21/ "So yes, congratulations. We've smoothly transitioned to a reality where the internet isn't a right or even a service, but a regulated resource with metered access. A kind of digital rationing system.
22/ "The main thing is, don't forget to thank [the authorities] for their concern. They're trying their best." /end
Source:
t.me/expensive_hurm…
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