{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Daily Security Review","title":"Russia’s 16KB Curtain: Cloudflare Throttling and the Future of the RuNet","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":6331,"description":"Russia has entered a new phase of digital authoritarianism. In a sweeping move, Russian Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have begun systematically throttling access to Cloudflare and other Western-backed services, including infrastructure giants Hetzner and DigitalOcean. This throttling is so severe that it restricts downloads to just 16 kilobytes per connection—effectively rendering affected websites unusable. It’s a chilling technical development dubbed the “16KB Curtain.”\nIn this episode, we explore Russia’s strategic effort to isolate its internet from the global web—a campaign known as digital sovereignty. This isn’t just a geopolitical talking point. It’s an active campaign of infrastructure control, information censorship, and aggressive filtering. We examine:\nThe mechanics of the 16KB throttle: How it works, what it breaks, and why it’s so effective.\nCloudflare’s position: The company has confirmed it cannot mitigate the throttling—this is not a technical glitch, it’s a political weapon.\nThe broader pattern: Throttling is only part of a sweeping campaign to restrict VPNs, disrupt anti-censorship tools like Psiphon, and elevate domestic tech over foreign services.\nBut this isn't just about website access. It’s about the future of RuNet—a Russian internet fenced off from global influence. The Kremlin’s vision includes a national DNS system, deep packet inspection at scale, and mandates for domestic apps and cloud infrastructure. Yet, behind this ambition lies a critical weakness: Russia’s ongoing dependence on Western and Chinese technologies, from chips to software.\nWe also unpack:\nThe expansion of mobile internet blackouts across over 30 regions—even those far from conflict zones.\nThe illusion of self-sufficiency: Despite homegrown efforts in CPUs and software, Russia still lacks foundational capabilities in 5G, storage, and OS development.\nImpact on Russian citizens and international companies: Users are increasingly isolated. Businesses are forced to...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/pL79_MJFeJHamQ_ztImsGmDSMdl27VMk_30TAkieujE/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8yNzg5/ZjlhNzM5Y2M4Njli/NjkxNzgyODA2Nzhi/MDI2ZC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}