In Russia, what remains of freedom of speech is being systematically dismantled: the authorities plan to forcibly embed a “national news platform” based on “Dzen” and VK into every popular website and app, so they can personally decide what news Russians see.
The VK holding (the same one that is actively promoting the “national messenger” MAX and is led by the son of the first deputy head of the Presidential Administration, Sergey Kiriyenko) is proposing to turn its “Dzen” platform—formerly a blogging service—into an official state-run news machine. A bill formalizing this is expected to be submitted for consideration in May 2026. After its adoption, all major Russian websites, marketplaces, video services, social networks, and search engines will be required to integrate a special “Dzen” widget.
On social networks and search engines, users will see a “top five news” selection on the homepage, while video platforms will display a button leading to a “top 15” news list. What appears in these lists will be determined not by the market or editorial teams, but directly by the Russian government. The cabinet of ministers will approve a list of “approved” media outlets and appoint a single platform operator for a five-year term.
This entire structure is, officially, presented as an effort to “save non-state federal media from closure.” In reality, it is a straightforward redistribution of money and control. The widget will include advertising, 50% of which will go to the platform hosting it, while the rest will be divided between “media support,” a vaguely defined association, and—according to VK’s presentation—the remaining 40% is left unexplained.
Especially cynical is the fact that this scheme is being promoted by structures closely tied to the Russian state. VK is not an independent company but a Kremlin-linked holding that has long served the regime’s interests. Now it will gain another powerful tool: the forced distribution of “approved” news and an additional stream of advertising revenue.
In effect, Russians are being pushed toward a total informational vacuum: instead of having any real choice of information sources, they will be fed carefully filtered state content everywhere they spend time online. Freedom of speech in Russia is finally turning into a privilege granted only to those whom the Kremlin allows to speak.
