💚 I Am Online. A campaign for a free internet

The Russian authorities are escalating internet censorship. Messaging apps and social platforms are being blocked or degraded: messages don’t go through, photos fail to load, calls drop. This affects millions of people — their work, studies, and their ability to stay in touch with family and friends.

But this is not only about convenience.

Censorship is a key tool of propaganda. When independent sources are restricted and communication becomes unreliable, people are pushed into a controlled information space — where the state can dominate the narrative and prevent Russians from accessing truthful reporting, including about Russia’s war against Ukraine.

That is why Yulia Navalnaya and Navalny’s team are launching I am Online — a campaign for a free and open internet.

What we are doing

As part of this campaign, we are taking concrete steps on multiple tracks:

• Naming those responsible. We are documenting the censorship apparatus and publishing the names of officials and decision-makers involved.
• Sanctions proposals. We have prepared a list for targeted sanctions and are submitting it to partners in the EU, the US, and other countries.
• Engaging major tech companies. We are pressing major platforms to support access to independent information and help people bypass censorship.
• MAX messenger — explained. We will call on Apple and Google to remove MAX, a state-promoted messaging app being pushed inside Russia as a “replacement” for independent platforms. The Kremlin cannot simply switch the internet off without public backlash — so it tries to move people onto services it can control. Removing MAX would make it harder to force millions into a fully controlled digital environment and would complicate any attempt to block Telegram and WhatsApp.
• Legal action in Russia. We are filing a lawsuit in a Russian court over the censorship of messaging services. Even under Russia’s own laws there is no legal basis for mass restrictions. The case will likely be dismissed, but it will help us obtain official documentation showing how the authorities justify politically motivated censorship.

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