Digital Authoritarianism in the Making

On the genesis of digital authoritarianism in the Russian Internet space, from peace to war.

How did the authoritarian dynamic that is currently plaguing the Russian internet (Runet) come to dominate a digital space that was initially free? Digital Authoritarianism in the Making reveals the policies regulating the Runet, resituating them within their historical context starting in the early 2010s and ending with the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022. It offers a political sociology of the Russian digital space, including the variety of actors who have sought to occupy it: access providers, developers, journalists, activists, web professionals, and mobilized citizens.

Informed by five years of original fieldwork, the book highlights both repressive policies and online resistance, including lesser-known social and technical practices used to circumvent constraints.

While the Runet’s shift toward authoritarianism is specific to Russia, this model is expanding to all the regions where Moscow is extending its influence. This book is a must-read for all those who pay attention to the coercive uses of the internet, in Russia and beyond.