Russia's Arc of Secrecy in the Twenty-First Century

Abstract

Russia has returned to a system of secretive rule. Compared to the Soviet-era "regime of secrecy," official secrecy in modern Russia shows similarities and differences. A similarity is the secrecy applied to Kremlin politics. Data censorship is less comprehensive than in Soviet times, it has been spreading in military affairs and foreign economic relations. Overall, there is less censorship and more disinformation. An underlying factor is that information-sharing among citizens has been decentralized by digital technologies.