Digital Authoritarianism in the Making: Repression and Resistance on the Russian Internet

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.

Françoise Daucé is Professor at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS) in Paris and a member and former director of the Center for Russian, Caucasian, East-European, and Central Asian Studies (CERCEC).
Benjamin Loveluck is Junior Professor in Political Science and Chair in Digital Regulation at Paris-Pantheon-Assas University, member of the Center for Studies and Research in Administrative and Political Sciences (CERSA).
Francesca Musiani is Research Professor at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), member and director of the CNRS Centre for Internet and Society (CIS).