Global
Digital Forum

Runet: A powerful tool for Russia’s technological, social and cultural development

On April 7, the 15th Russian Internet Governance Forum (RIGF 2025) took place in Moscow. The forum was held in a hybrid format, with more than 300 participants physically attending the sessions and over 2,000 viewers following the event online. Andrey Vorobyev, Director of the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ, welcomed the forum participants and noted that, according to tradition, RIGF is held on the day the ccTLD .RU was established and that the participants would discuss the most relevant issues of internet governance. Andrey Vorobyev added that this year, the Cyrillic domain .РФ will turn 15. This ccTLD has also become one of the symbols of the annual Russian Internet Governance Forum. "RIGF is one of the oldest national forums in the global IGF system, and .РФ was launched at the first RIGF in 2010, becoming an important milestone in the development of the Runet," Andrey Vorobyev emphasized. Tatyana Matveyeva, Chief of the Presidential Directorate for the Development of Information and Communication Technology and Communication Infrastructure, noted that the Runet is a powerful tool for the country's technological, social and cultural development. "We see Russian digital solutions being used in a variety of fields, helping millions of people. Despite the sanctions and the withdrawal of a number of Western companies, the Russian internet industry is demonstrating stability and rapid growth," Tatyana Matveyeva said. Alexander Shoitov, Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications, and Mass Media, added that the Runet and the Russian Internet Governance Forum have come a long way over the years, but serious challenges remain. "Today, the government is focusing on the fight against cyber fraud as one of its priorities. The Ministry of Digital Development is taking steps to address the issue, including measures to improve infrastructure and to promptly suppress such criminal activity. In 2026, Russia will launch a new state anti-fraud information system. It will essentially serve to coordinate and combine the efforts of all stakeholders. The existing Anti-Phishing service will be incorporated into the new system. There is a great deal of work ahead," he said. Anton Gorelkin, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications, and Chairman of the Board at ROCIT, noted that the Russian Internet Governance Forum has become a platform where the further Runet development trajectory is determined. He stressed that today, any strong and independent state seeks to establish clear and understandable rules for using the internet, thereby responding to its citizens' need for a safe and comfortable internet environment. Alexei Goreslavsky, Director General of the Institute for Internet Development, emphasized the role of online content, which has grown significantly over the past five years, influenced by the pandemic and geopolitical changes. According to him, an average Russian spends 4.5 hours a day using a smartphone. He added that high-speed internet in Russia has reached 93% of the population, which significantly exceeds the global share of internet users (67.9%). Vadim Glushchenko, Director of the Center of Competence for Global IT Cooperation, spoke about Russia's role in the global digital agenda and stressed the importance of the Internet Governance Forums as platforms for international dialogue. He added that 2025 is an important year for digital governance, as the IGF's current mandate terminates this year, and the review of WSIS+20 is coming up. In this context, Russia is launching a new international format – the Global Digital Forum which will take place in June in Nizhny Novgorod on the sidelines of the conference Digitalization of Industrial Russia. Andrei Kuzmichev, CEO of Ru-Center, stressed that the domain industry should make it a priority to make .RU a safe space with a quality mark, in which any internet enthusiast or company can place its online assets without a shadow of a doubt. Kirill Izotov, Director of the Russian Research Institute for Public Networks (RIPN), spoke about the history and prospects of .SU, the oldest of Russia's country-code domains, which turns 35 this year. He also noted that back then, security issues were not as acute as they are today. "Over the past 35 years, the internet has evolved from a simple tool for exchanging information to a gigantic and complex ecosystem. Well-balanced governance and constant oversight are critical now," Izotov added. Cybersecurity was one of the main highlights on RIGF 2025 agenda. Phishing remains the most popular type of fraud in Russia, State Duma deputy and coordinator of the Digital Russia federal party project Anton Nemkin noted during the plenary session, Runet Digital Security: Between Sovereignty and Global Challenges, which he moderated. Last year alone, the Roskomnadzor watchdog restricted access to almost 70,000 phishing websites following court decisions or the Prosecutor General's Office's orders, he added. However, the newly-adopted anti-fraud legislation is hardly a magic pill – rather, it is the first step in the extensive and complex endeavor to combat threats on the Runet. "We need to develop new measures to combat deepfakes, malware droppers and renting of verified accounts on messenger apps and digital platforms, including Gosuslugi," Anton Nemkin added. Yelizaveta Belyakova, Chair of the Alliance for Child Protection in the Digital Environment, said that Russian laws do not allow children under 14 to create accounts on social media platforms. "If a younger child uses social media, it is their parents' responsibility to install parental control systems and decide on the kind of content their child can view. Younger children might not yet have strong enough critical thinking skills to distinguish reliable information from a false story. In fact, they believe everything they see on the internet. Therefore, it is important to realize that not only businesses and the state should demonstrate social responsibility; above all, parents must do this," she added. Timofey V, expert with the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN), cited a study conducted by the association. In the first three months of 2025, 61 unique deepfakes and 2,300 copies thereof were detected in Russia. This is equal to 67% of the total number of deepfakes detected in 2024 and 160% above the 2023 figure. In addition, the amount of inaccurate information on socio-economic trends increased by 11% in 2025, compared to last year. Another important issue discussed at the forum was personnel training for the IT industry. The speaker, CEO of Digital Economy Sergei Plugotarenko, stressed that qualified specialists are the key asset of any technology company. Human resources determine how successful a project will be or how fast the final product will be developed and how good it will be. In addition, participants raised other issues such as international cooperation in internet governance and the development of satellite internet. As is traditional, RIGF 2025 featured the Virtuti Interneti award ceremony and a book launch event. The award went to Pavel Khramtsov, one of the oldest figures on the Runet, who stood at the cradle of the internet in Russia. The book presented was International Internet Governance, edited by MGIMO professor, Doctor of Political Science Yelena Zinovyeva. At the end of the forum, Anastasia Savelyeva, director of the RIGF Special Course for Youth, invited everyone to participate in the next Summer School on Internet Governance, which will start at the end of May. The program, developed by the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ and co-organized with the Foreign Relations Department of St. Petersburg State University, will run for the sixth time in 2025. It is also part of the global Schools on Internet Governance (SIG) movement. The Russian Internet Governance Forum is organized by the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ and the Center of Competence for Global IT Cooperation, with the support of the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation. The anniversary partner of the forum is RIPN; the partners are the Technical Center of Internet and Ru-Center. General Media Partner: TASS Official media partner: Rambler&Co Strategic Media Partners: MIC Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta Media Holding Media partners: Public News Service, Vechernyaya Moskva (Evening Moscow) newspaper, the Regional Information Agency of the Moscow Region (RIAMO), INFOX Media Group, PRO Business television channel, R-Spectrum, Open Systems Publications, Moscow News online publications, Rusbase (Rb.ru), D-Russia.ru, ComNews.ru, Hi-Tech Mail, Cyber Media, ICT-Online.ru, ICT2GO.ru, IT-WORLD.RU, Mobile Telecommunications (MTK), Telecomtimes.ru, First National, HELPINVER - discover a new Russia, the Bankiros.ru platform, as well as the magazines Company, High Life and Business, Vestnik Sviazy and CONNECT. The World of Information Technology.