Civil society groups caution against taking Russians offline

A group of over 40 human and digital rights organizations published an open letter to the Biden administration Thursday cautioning against limiting Russian’s access to the internet in response to the country’s invasion in Ukraine.

Two major internet providers have already cut service in Russia since its Feb. 24 incursion into eastern Ukraine.

Several software and telecommunications companies have also halted sales, a combined removal of services that threatens to leave Russian citizens without access to international services.

Pressure on other crucial technology providers to pull out, including from Ukrainian officials, has only risen as the war has continued. 

“[W]e write to express our concerns about growing calls to interfere with the Russian people’s access to the internet, which we fear will hurt individuals attempting to organize in opposition to the war, report openly and honestly on events in Russia, and access information about what is happening in Ukraine and abroad,” wrote the groups, including Access Now, Human Rights Watch and the Wikimedia Foundation. 

“These measures could also unnecessarily facilitate further repression by the Russian government,” they added. 

In response to the risk of Russian citizens being stuck behind a digital iron curtain, the organizations are calling on the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control to issue a license authorizing the provision of services, software and hardware to Russia for citizens to communicate over the internet.

Some companies, like the internet service provider Cogent Communications, have cited the threat of sanctions as a reason why they had to cut off service in Russia.

Issuing a general license would make it clear that providing those kind of services are in the public interest and unaffected by current or future sanctions.

“These general licenses for personal communications have received wide support from civil society organizations and Congress, and do not contradict the overall objectives of the sanctions programs,” the groups noted. 

The letter released Thursday also calls for governments seeking to sanction Russia to consult with civil society groups before imposing restrictions that could hamper internet access and pledge to review sanctions regularly.