Russia has blocked an average of 4,900 websites per week so far in 2022, according to Roskomsvoboda, an internet freedom NGO. According to Roskomsvoboda’s report, published Monday by the Kommersant business daily, authorities restricted 14,800 websites last week alone — the highest total in a single week in several years. While it did not name potential …
640,000 websites are currently blocked in Russia, reports NGO Read More
The Council of the European Union has announced new sanctions against Russia on the backdrop of the deepening military conflict in Ukraine. The new measures include a full ban on the provision of wallet, account, or custody services for crypto assets to Russian persons and residents. The measure will apply regardless of the value of these assets, according to …
EU bans crypto services for Russians in new sanctions over Ukraine escalation Read More
The Central Bank of Russia (CBR) and the Ministry of Finance (Minfin) have adopted a joint position on the regulation of crypto mining. The bitcoin-related activity has been expanding in the energy-rich nation, both as a profitable industry and as a source of additional income for many Russians. Anatoly Aksakov, chair of the parliamentary Financial Market …
Bank of Russia, finance ministry agree on crypto mining regulation, law expected soon Read More
The iPhone 14 went on sale in US stores Friday. Even though the company’s flagship product is not officially available in Russia, it will still reach the country via the so-called parallel imports scheme. Moreover, a strong ruble means there has reportedly been a significant uptick in pre-orders of the iPhone 14. There are even …
How parallel import provides Russians with Apple’s latest iPhone Read More
Two of Russia’s largest search engines have removed results for Facebook, Instagram and several independent news websites after authorities blocked or declared them “extremist.” Meduza, Mediazona, Deutsche Welle, Current Time, Kholod, The Insider and other news outlets that have been providing independent coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine were also removed from search results. Yandex …
Russian search engines remove “extremist” Instagram, Facebook, independent media results Read More
TikTok issued an update Tuesday on its efforts to stem the flow of misinformation about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but the company doesn’t appear to be effectively implementing its existing policies around the war. The social network cut off new content originating in Russia in early March in response to a harsh new law in the country criminalizing “fake …
Russian state media is still posting to TikTok a month after the app blocked new content Read More
Cryptocurrency mining needs to be regulated “as soon as possible,” Russian Deputy Minister of Energy Evgeniy Grabchak said during Russia’s first national conference of legal bitcoin miners, held recently in Irkutsk. The Siberian oblast, where electricity rates start at just $0.01 per kWh, has been dubbed “the mining capital of Russia” as coin minting in the …
Russian minister calls for urgent legalization of crypto mining Read More
Financial services firms including those in the cryptoasset sector were warned by Britain’s regulatory bodies on Friday that they were expected to ensure sanctions imposed against entities and individuals in Russia and Belarus were complied with. “We are working closely with partners in government and law enforcement both here and abroad, including regulatory authorities, to …
Cryptoasset sector told by UK regulators to comply with Russian sanctions Read More
The Russian government “has determined the future of digital currencies in Russia,” an announcement published late Tuesday stated. The authorities have elaborated a plan to integrate the circulation of cryptocurrencies into Russia’s financial system and to establish control over crypto-related flows in the banking system. Contrasting with the central bank’s recent proposal to impose a ban on crypto trading, investment …
Apple has opened a representative office in Russia, the Russian Internet and Telecom regulator said Friday, becoming the first company to comply with new regulations requiring foreign technology firms to localize their operations in the country. Some 13 foreign technology companies are required to open local offices and fulfill a string of other technical requirements, like …
Global digital giants must go local: Apple opens representative office in Russia Read More
Bank of Russia proposed today to ban cryptocurrency investment and mining as governments around the world crack down on the decentralized currencies, citing a variety of threats including monetary stability. At the moment, conducting transactions with cryptocurrencies is illegal in Russia, but investing and buying crypto through exchanges is permitted under a recent change. Russian citizens’ transactions using decentralized …
No exchange, no investment, no mining: Russia’s central bank proposes triple ban on crypto Read More
As Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) has become a popular way for consumers around the globe to settle their purchases, Russia’s Central Bank is seeking to regulate this activity. In this exchange with East-West Digital News,, industry pioneer Irene Shvakman – who co-founded Revo Technologies, Russia’s first BNPL service, even before today’s Western leaders appeared …
