Two Phones, One Hidden App, and a Quiet Digital Rebellion as Russians Navigate Restrictions

When Alexei bought a second smartphone, he informed friends that it was for work. It was a reasonable explanation. However, this device was used for a very different reason.

Alexei's original phone had all of his local apps, bank details, communication platforms and everything he used for his daily life on it. It was the one that he carried in public, connected to local networks, and used without restriction or concern. This second phone stayed at home. He hid it in a desk when it was not in use, and from it he accesses everything else.

Across Russia, tens of thousands of people developed the same method of routine.

As the internet became increasingly restricted and accessing certain sites became extremely difficult many started to seek ways to access information that was increasingly outside of their borders. Some used VPN's, some used encrypted messaging services, some downloaded apps from unofficial sources and cloud-based applications; and a surprisingly high number employed this two phone strategy to keep certain aspects of their life completely separate from their use of the internet.

For many, their motivations weren't necessarily to protest the government but to access information, world news, online lectures, streaming services and communicate with friends and family living abroad.

It required discretion and adaptability.

Many applications disappeared from official shops and users were forced to find them on other platforms. As soon as one service was shut down another immediately sprung up to fill the gap. There were quiet communities sharing tips to newcomers how to navigate a complicated new internet.

Maria, a university student, stated the process was one of constant adaptation; every few months something familiar would disappear and be replaced by a new innovation. Every new challenge bred a new solution. The internet that Maria now access looked very different from just a few years previously but was still accessible to those who sought the pathways out.

Technical experts have found that restrictions on services often led to an increase in users’ technical sophistication rather than an abolition of access. People who never before had a passing interest in data security now know how to encrypt messages and what a proxy server is.

In the mean time everyone else continues their daily life. Everyone works, study's, socializes and entertains themselves while continuously and almost silently adapting their habits. They rarely make headlines and exist unseen inside the confines of their apartments, classrooms and cafés, but they have had a real and significant effect on the way many navigate the online world.

At night, Alexei takes out his second phone and connects to a service via a commonly used application and suddenly a different world appears before his eyes.

The online curtain had drawn taller, but for millions, even the most difficult barrier can leave behind small openings for the persistent to find and use to gaze through.