Yes, Russians can generally still access Gmail, but access can be inconsistent, with Google restricting new account creation and Russian authorities discouraging its use, potentially leading to blocks or slowdowns, often requiring a VPN for reliable access, especially for official or business communications. While there isn't a complete, universal ban, Google has stopped some services and faced pressure, making access more complicated than before.
Google has restricted the ability of users in Russia to create new accounts on the platform, Russian news agency Interfax reported on Thursday, citing comments made at a press conference by representatives of Russia's Digital Development Ministry.
In 2022, Google's local subsidiary was declared bankrupt and the company has stopped offering its commercial services in Russia, such as advertising. However, its products are not completely banned in the country.
As of 2020, 122,488,468 Russians (85% of the country's total population) were Internet users.
Yandex.Mail (Russian: Яндекс. Почта) is a Russian free email service developed by Yandex. It was launched on June 26, 2000, and is one of the three largest email services in Runet (along with Gmail and Mail.ru). The service uses automatic spam filtering, checks for viruses using antivirus software from Dr.
Russia is gradually introducing restrictive measures against WhatsApp, the country's communications regulator Roskomnadzor said on Monday. Citing a statement by Roskomnadzor's press service, the RBK news outlet reported that WhatsApp “continues to violate Russian law.”
Yandex Search (Russian: Яндекс) is a search engine owned by the company Yandex, based in Russia. In January 2015, Yandex Search generated 51.2% of all of the search traffic in Russia according to LiveInternet.
VPNs are not formally illegal, but everything around them is being criminalized. Since March 1, 2024, it has been illegal to share information about circumvention tools — including guides, reviews, or even lists of working services — and websites that do so can be blocked and fined.
Russia is served by an extensive system of automatic telephone exchanges connected by modern networks of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, and a domestic satellite system; cellular telephone service is widely available, expanding rapidly, and includes roaming service to foreign countries.
Full scale Internet censorship after 2022
By 2022, several major Internet platforms and media had already been shut down, including Twitter and Facebook, which were fully blocked for permitting content deemed hostile toward Russians.
Since March 2022, Instagram has been officially banned in Russia due to government regulations. This means that users trying to access the platform from within the country will encounter restrictions preventing them from logging in or loading content.
Market share
Yandex is facing web search competition in Russia from Google Search. Google Chrome, Russia's most popular web browser, uses Google Search as its default search engine.
Only two countries–Taiwan and Timor-Leste–don't impose vast restrictions. The majority of other countries (38 in total) are subject to heavy censorship. A large number (29) of these countries restrict social media platforms in some way.
Notably, the most extensive censorship occurs under the "Great Firewall" in China, but a number of other countries – including Iran, North Korea, Turkmenistan, Russia, and others – have at times blocked Google or its subsidiaries for political, religious, or security reasons.
When texting someone in Russia, you must include the country code +7 to alert the mobile network that your message is intended for Russia. To input the country code, long-press the "0" key on your phone until a "+" symbol appears, or type "007" before the phone number.
The best Gmail trick is Plus Addressing: you can add a + sign and any word (e.g., [email protected]) to your email address, and all mail still arrives in your main inbox, letting you easily filter, organize, or track spam from different sign-ups without creating new accounts. You can also use dots (e.g., [email protected]) as they are ignored by Gmail, giving you more variations for organizing emails.
Apple does not directly operate any physical retail stores in Russia and distributes its products through local retailers. Apple also operates a Russian-language online store, though it has been known to suspend sales during past crises of Russian currency.
Gun control in Russia is carried out in accordance with the Federal Law on Weapons. The law establishes three major categories of weapons: civil, service, and military. Civilians in Russia are able to obtain firearms with proper licensure, with some limits on concealed carry.
In 2024, authorities also blocked encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, while calls via WhatsApp and Telegram – Russia's first and second most popular messaging apps – were blocked in August.
The good news is that there is almost no way to track live, encrypted VPN traffic. Law enforcement can only obtain data, if available, about websites visited and so on. Otherwise, hackers and snooping government agencies are generally blocked by the fact that the data is encrypted.
The government has also acted against popular messaging platforms. The encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were blocked in 2024. This year, authorities banned calls via WhatsApp, the most popular messaging app in Russia, and Telegram, a close second.
Russia-24 was banned in Ukraine, Moldova, the United Kingdom, and the European Union as a result of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Instagram is especially popular among women: 77% of some 2 million monthly active users belong to the female gender, aged between 18 and 29.
Rutube (stylized as RUTUBE) is a Russian video platform that includes a library of licensed content, including movies, TV series, cartoons, and live broadcasts. It also hosts blogs, podcasts, video game streams, and educational content. It is cited as Russia's alternative to YouTube.
Most Popular Mobile Apps: Russia