Swiss technology foils Russian censorship

The Swiss software Kiwix enables the user to copy entire websites so they can be accessible offline. Now that Wikipedia risks sanction in Russia because of its content on the Ukraine war, downloads of the free online encyclopaedia using Kiwix are off the charts.

Wikipedia is one of the few sources of information on the Ukraine war not yet censored in Russia, but it is on the Kremlin's radar. Since the beginning of March, Wikimedia, the American foundation that runs Wikipedia, "has received several warnings from the Russian government… calling upon it to suppress verified, factual information in the articles", a spokesperson told SWI swissinfo.ch via email.

The Russian state agency that regulates communications, Roskomnadzor, has faulted Wikipedia for having pages referring to a "Russian invasion of Ukraine", whereas it is illegal to use anything but the official terminology, according to which it is a "special military operation". On April 5, Roskomnadzor again urged the site to delete "the material containing inaccurate information", warning it could face a fine of up to four million rubles (CHF47,000).

For the time being Wikipedia says it has obeyed no injunction. "These repeated demands do not change our commitment to protecting the right… to find and share free, open and verifiable information," says the foundation's spokesperson. Many fear that this defiance will soon see the site banned, as happened already with Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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