GNI and CDT lead joint call to defend encryption in Russia
A new joint statement coordinated by the Global Network Initiative and the Center for Democracy & Technology condemns Russia’s escalating restrictions on encrypted communication. The signatories warn that blocking end-to-end encrypted services, forcing citizens onto state-controlled platforms and restricting VPNs violates international human-rights standards and risks normalizing digital authoritarianism worldwide.
The Global Network Initiative and the Center for Democracy & Technology have released a joint statement, supported by a broad coalition of civil-society organisations, companies and cybersecurity experts, calling attention to Russia’s intensifying crackdown on encrypted communication. The statement responds to actions by the Russian authorities to block WhatsApp, restrict VPN use and force the adoption of Max, a state-controlled, non-encrypted messenger. These measures, the coalition argues, undermine privacy, free expression and access to information protections recognised under international law.
The document stresses that encrypted platforms are essential lifelines for journalists, human-rights defenders and everyday users who rely on secure communication to avoid surveillance and retaliation. It notes that the blocking of encryption and VPNs forms part of a broader strategy to consolidate digital sovereignty, centralise control and pressure individuals onto tools that expose them to state monitoring. Signatories warn that if left uncontested, these tactics may set a precedent for restrictive digital governance approaches in other jurisdictions.
Key points articulated in the joint statement:
- condemnation of Russia’s blocking of end-to-end encrypted applications and its imposition of unencrypted, government-backed alternatives
- reaffirmation of the importance of encryption and VPNs to secure communication, rights protection and access to information
- support for continued efforts by companies, civil society and multistakeholder groups to preserve access to encrypted tools in Russia and beyond
- commitment to countering similar restrictive approaches globally, given their wider implications for digital rights
The statement frames these developments not as isolated regulatory decisions but as elements of a wider offensive against fundamental freedoms. It reaffirms that private, secure and open communication is a right that must be protected universally, and expresses solidarity with people in Russia whose ability to communicate safely is being eroded. A broad coalition of civil-society groups, companies and cybersecurity experts has endorsed the statement.
