Russia Suffers Billions of Rupiah in Economic Losses Due to Internet Access Blockade

Russia experienced internet access blockades to social media and news websites in conjunction with its invasion of Ukraine.

According to Top10VPN data, the consequences of these internet blockades cost Russia approximately US$1.36 billion, or around Rp19.5 trillion, in 2022. This figure is the highest among other countries.

Although the internet access blockade lasted only a few weeks (591 hours), 113 million Russian citizens were affected, leading to price increases on goods.

This loss figure was obtained from calculations using a tool developed by internet monitoring organization Netblocks, internet advocacy group The Internet Society, and CIPESA.

This cost figure indicates how much a country's population loses from internet access blockades and social media restrictions. This includes losses in work productivity, investment potential, and opportunity costs, both directly to the digital sector and to sectors dependent on digital technology.

The second-largest estimated cost due to internet blockades worldwide occurred in Kazakhstan, reaching US$429.5 million (Rp6.17 trillion). The internet blockade lasted 142 hours due to strong public protests against fuel price increases in Kazakhstan.

Next is Myanmar, which incurred economic costs of US$202.6 million (Rp2.9 trillion) due to internet blockades. The duration of the blockade in Myanmar was the longest compared to other countries, reaching 3,888 hours.

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