Using censorship to counter propaganda: An analysis of the Ukrainian ban on Russian social media

Abstract

Russian cyberattacks and online propaganda have alarmed several nations. In 2017, the Ukrainian
government reacted to the information threat by restricting access to a number of Russian websites,
including VKontakte, one of the country's most well-liked social media platforms. By taking
advantage of a genuine experiment in Ukraine, I found that the abrupt censoring policy actually
decreased activity on VKontakte, even if the vast majority of users were technically and legally able
to get around the restriction. Those who had significant political and social ties to Russia were at
least as likely to experience the ban's effects as users who had minimal ties. I contend that the primary
driving force behind users' reactions was not political opinions toward the state but rather the
availability of access to online media