Russia-Ukraine War affects the internet. Cogent Communications has been cutting off internet service to its Russian clients, according to the Washington Post. This places it in the same league as companies like Meta, which has restricted state-sponsored news media on Facebook in Europe; Twitter, which puts a caution label on tweets from government-controlled Russian media outlets; and others. If you wonder how social media platforms are responding to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, you can read the related article.
Cogent is a US-based internet infrastructure services company that caters to multinational clients throughout the world, including many in Russia. According to Reuters, it is the country’s second-largest internet service provider.
Besides the conventional military conflict, it has waged on the ground since invading Ukraine, Russia has carried out cyberwar campaigns against neighboring nations’ military and financial websites. It is also using its state-sponsored media sources and bot propaganda networks to broadcast a falsified account of Ukraine’s invasion.
Russia-Ukraine War: Cyber assaults and disinformation
According to Reuters, Cogent said it decided to cut off access in order to combat “outbound cyber assaults or disinformation” organized by Russian interests aligned with President Vladimir Putin. However, the firm added that it was a difficult one because keeping Russians connected to the internet is critical for them to access non-state-sanctioned information.
Other businesses that have ended their association with Russia include Microsoft, Apple, Google, and other technology firms, as well as Visa, Boeing, and Harley Davidson.
