The Russian regime is taking internet censorship to new levels. In numerous regions, including Moscow and St Petersburg, mobile internet was switched off completely this spring under the pretext of protection against drone attacks. Author­ities have also begun blocking the popular Telegram app and stepped up their fight against virtual private networks (VPN), both of which allow accessing blocked online resources. How does Russian society respond?

Is it legit­imate to restrict political freedoms – such as freedom of speech or the right to build political parties and to run for elections – in order to protect national security and to defend liberal democracy against its enemies? This is of course one of the classic contro­versies of political theory and practice, as Ralf Fücks analyzes.