ÉTATS-UNIS PERSPECTIVE

American media cover the Russian internet blackout as a perfect illustration of the Putin regime's authoritarian drift. NBC News publishes a long report from Moscow describing citizens 'powerless' against outages affecting taxi services, deliveries, banking apps and even emergency communications. CNN frames the blackouts in the broader context of Russia's 'Great Crackdown' on the internet, a digital control campaign accelerating since the start of the Ukraine war.

The New York Times analyzes the economic dimension: losses estimated at $38-63 million over five days hit couriers, taxis, shops and the tech sector. The Wall Street Journal highlights the irony: Russia, which boasts of its tech partnership with China, cannot even maintain functioning mobile internet in its capital.

Fox News uses the subject to criticize 'appeasers' who advocate negotiating with Putin: 'this is the regime some want to make peace with.' The Washington Post publishes a comparative policy analysis, placing Russia alongside Iran, China and North Korea in the 'authoritarian internet shutdowns' category.

US News details the legal mechanics: the February 2026 law is compared to the American Patriot Act but at an incomparably more intrusive scale. The bipartisan debate on internet freedom is revived, with implications for American discussions on TikTok and social media control.