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Petitioners Demand End to Kremlin Internet Shutdowns; $11.9B Losses

4/25/2026

22 2 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Petitioners queued outside the Kremlin demanding an end to the internet crackdown that has crippled businesses.
President Vladimir Putin said the outages are imposed for security reasons and ordered agencies to keep vital services running.
Mobile internet shutdowns in Moscow caused up to 5 billion rubles in losses over five days.
Experts estimate total economic damage from the restrictions reached $11.9 billion in 2025.

History

Historical Context

During the 25-26 January 2011 protests, Egypt’s State Security blocked Twitter and Facebook, and on the night of 27 January President Hosni Mubarak ordered the four ISPs—including Telecom Egypt—to cut all traffic, disconnecting about 88 % of the network. The OECD later estimated the blackout cost $90 million, and service was restored on 2 February.

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Story summary

Petitioners queued outside the Kremlin demanding an end to the internet crackdown that has crippled businesses.
President Vladimir Putin said the outages are imposed for security reasons and ordered agencies to keep vital services running.
Mobile internet shutdowns in Moscow caused up to 5 billion rubles in losses over five days.
Experts estimate total economic damage from the restrictions reached $11.9 billion in 2025.

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