{
  "id": 4658021,
  "title": "Russia’s Digital Development Ministry tries to crack down on banned sites masked in ‘white lists’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/russias-digital-development-ministry-tries-to-crack-down-on-banned",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-31T14:52:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Meduza (English)",
    "slug": "meduza-english",
    "url": "https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/08/31/russia-s-digital-development-ministry-tries-to-crack-down-on-banned-sites-masked-in-white-lists"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Russian Digital Development Ministry has intensified efforts to target \"white list\" websites hosting \"content banned in Russia,\" such as ads for VPN services, according to a report by RBC. The ministry instructed hosting providers, web protection services, and CDN providers to relocate the IP addresses of these \"white list\" resources into distinct subnets, as per the outlet's account. This action aims to eliminate the use of IP addresses from the \"white list\" by entities lacking proper authorization. A source cited by the outlet noted that unrelated websites can inadvertently become part of the \"white lists.\" Companies conduct screenings when initially connecting to a site, but these sites can later alter their content. For instance, a website may initially register as an online store and later post VPN or other gray zone content. The \"white lists,\" sites mandated to stay accessible during mobile internet disruptions, were introduced in Russia in the fall of 2025. The Digital Development Ministry continuously revises the list of approved sites. At Meduza, adherence to transparency regarding the use of artificial intelligence in journalism is a priority. The aforementioned article was authored by one of our human journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model that adheres to our stringent editorial guidelines. This translation underwent rigorous testing and refinement to ensure timely and precise English-language reporting. An editor from Meduza scrutinizes each draft before its publication. Should you detect any inaccuracies in this translation, please reach out to reports@meduza.io. For Meduza's exclusive English-language content, a subscription to our newsletter is required.",
  "summary": "Russia’s Digital Development Ministry has begun cracking down on “white list” sites that carry “content banned in Russia,” including “advertising for VPN services,” the Russian business news outlet RBC reported.",
  "key_points": [
    "Russian Digital Development Ministry targets white list websites hosting banned content.",
    "Hosting providers instructed to relocate IP addresses of banned resources to distinct subnets.",
    "White lists introduced in Russia in fall 2025, continuously revised by ministry."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}