JRL NEWSWATCH: “Kremlin penetrates deeper into online world of Russians” – Financial Times
“Pressure grows on foreign social media platforms after state-run group’s takeover of Russia’s Facebook.”
“The takeover … of VKontakte … by companies tied to … Gazprom has the feel of a final act in a long saga of creeping state control over the company. … [T]he Facebook lookalike’s trajectory has mirrored … the Russian internet … from the freewheeling Ru-net of the 2000s to what is increasingly being dubbed sovereign-net … as the Kremlin secures ever more control. … With VKontakte and … other [VK] companies[,] … Gazprom-Media … now controls a vast swath of Russians’ online world, in addition to … TV channels, radio stations, printed press and film production. …”