Why Russia might struggle to maintain its digital iron curtain
CNN
On March 14, the same day Russia banned Instagram, Russian tech entrepreneur Alexander Zobov announced he would soon launch a local version of the popular photo and video sharing app called Rossgram.
Zobov and his team "were already prepared for this outcome of events in advance and decided not to miss the opportunity to create a Russian analogue of the social network popular and beloved by our compatriots," he wrote in a post on the Russian social network VK. The plan, he added, was to launch by end of March for "partners and top bloggers," and in April for everyone else.
Two weeks later, Rossgram shared an update on its Telegram channel telling prospective users that the app was undergoing "internal testing" and warning them that any offers to download Rossgram were coming from "scammers."
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