Residents of several districts in the Moscow region reported that some internet providers were allowing access only to websites and services included in a government-approved whitelist.
The first reports concerned, among others, the provider Vsem Wi-Fi. Users said customer support had attributed the restrictions to an upstream provider and warned that they could remain in place during the May holidays.
The connectivity project Na Svyazi later established that Vsem Wi-Fi was delivering internet access over a mobile network. That substantially changes the initial interpretation: the case does not demonstrate that Russian authorities introduced a blanket whitelist for conventional fixed-line home broadband.
Similar reports came from some other subscribers, although the scale of the phenomenon could not be established.
Russia began using whitelists extensively in 2025 amid widespread shutdowns of mobile internet. The approved list includes government services, banks, some media outlets, marketplaces, transportation apps and other resources that authorities permit to remain accessible during communications restrictions.
The episode was another example of expanding managed internet restrictions, but not proof that a federal whitelist had been imposed on all home internet service.