On 18 February 2023, Russian authorities blocked access to the website of The Bell, a major independent media outlet focused on business and technology. The project had already been declared a “foreign agent” by authorities in December, while its founder and IPI board member Elizaveta Osetinskaya was labeled with this status in April.
As in previous cases of website access blocks, Russia’s internet regulator and censor Roskomnadzor gave no explanation for its decision. In an article addressed to its readers, The Bell stated that the “real reason” for the move was a desire “to cut Russians off from any alternative viewpoints differing from that of the state”. The media’s team also assured users that viewing the site through VPNs remained legal in Russia. Receiving emailed newsletters by The Bell and subscribing to the media’s Telegram channel remains safe as well, according to The Bell.
“Roskomnadzor blocked The Bell’s webpage for alleged ‘repeated posting of prohibited content’ and for publishing alleged ‘inaccurate information about the special military operation’, which is the phrase the agency uses when referring to the war”, The Bell founder Elizaveta Osentinskaya told IPI.