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 be in a digital space that was initially free? Digital Authoritarianism in the Making seeks to provide insight into the policies regulating the Runet, re-situating 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, looking at the 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 explores online resistance and lesser-known social and technical practices used to circumvent constraints.

While the Runet's shift towards authoritarianism is specific to Russia, this model is also expanding in 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.