Moscow businesses struggle as Russia blocks cellphone internet services

Moscow — Many foreign websites were blocked on mobile phones in central Moscow on Friday under restrictions that have gripped the Russian capital for more than a week, slamming the daily lives of millions of residents and businesses that rely on cellphone internet.

Russian officials have said the restrictions are part of security measures to repel Ukrainian drone attacks, but many industry experts suspect they are part of authorities’ preparations to block Russians’ access to the global web if the Kremlin decides to do so.

Intermittent shutdowns, previously recorded for months in dozens of Russian regions, have prompted some Moscow residents to turn to long-forgotten gadgets like walkie talkies, pagers and media players.

The shutdowns are part of a multifaceted effort by authorities to regulate the Internet. They have adopted restrictive laws and banned non-compliant websites and platforms. Technology has been perfected to monitor and manipulate online traffic.

After President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, the government blocked major social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Last year, Russia’s communications watchdog announced it would block popular messaging apps WhatsApp and Telegram.

At the same time, authorities have actively promoted a “national” messenger app called MAX, which critics see as a surveillance tool.

Mobile internet shutdowns in Moscow were first reported on March 5 in some suburbs of the capital, spreading through the downtown area earlier this week. Many other areas have been hit by disconnections since May.

During the shutdown, a number of government-sanctioned Russian websites and online services were designated as “white lists” and made available. But during this week’s cellphone internet outages in Moscow, whitelisted government services, top banks and even taxi apps stopped working.

Businesses with broadband access and residents with broadband at home are not affected.

However, owners of Moscow cafes, restaurants and shops that rely on mobile internet have suffered huge losses as customers are unable to pay for services. ATMs and parking meters that rely on cellphone internet stopped working.

Taxi apps have given customers the option of calling a taxi over the phone and paying in cash.

In a few moments, not only cellphone internet, but cellphone coverage to make calls was completely cut off.

Earlier this week, members of the Kremlin-controlled parliament reported that mobile internet was almost completely missing in the Lower House building, just a few hundred meters (yards) from Red Square.

On Friday, Russian websites and some mobile apps were available in central Moscow, but foreign websites seen by some observers as part of a dress rehearsal were blocked to cut off access to the web.

Business daily Kommersant earlier in the week estimated that Moscow businesses lost between 3 and 5 billion rubles (about $38 million to $63 million) during the five-day shutdown. Other estimates were significantly higher.

Since the shutdown in Moscow, retailers have recorded a sharp rise in demand for pagers, portable radios, stationary phones and media players, media reports said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday in Moscow that the latest cellphone internet shutdown was “in strict compliance with the law” and would last “as long as additional measures are necessary to ensure the safety of our citizens.”

Recently approved legislation has barred Russian internet providers from shutting down mobile internet when authorities declare it necessary for security reasons.

Asked why the shutdown was happening now in Moscow, Peskov responded that “as Ukraine embarks on increasingly sophisticated attack methods, more technologically advanced measures are needed to ensure public security.”

He said the government would look at ways to compensate businesses for losses caused by the shutdown, but gave no specifics.