Collateral Freedom: RSF Restores Access to Censored News in Russia and China

September 27, 2024 – China/Russia – 

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has reignited its digital resistance campaign, Operation Collateral Freedom, unblocking nearly 50 censored news websites in Russia and China. By creating mirror versions of independent media outlets hosted on major cloud services, RSF is helping millions reclaim access to journalism suppressed by authoritarian regimes.

Launched in observance of the International Day for Universal Access to Information, the operation targets two of the world’s most heavily censored countries. In Russia, where the government has blocked or dismantled most independent outlets since the invasion of Ukraine, RSF has created mirror sites for 23 media organizations. These include major platforms like Meduza and The Moscow Times. In total, RSF has deployed over 7,000 Russian mirror sites in the past year alone—5,400 for Meduza, 900 for Novaya Gazeta Europe, and 600 for The Moscow Times.

In China, 25 censored websites—many reporting on human rights in Tibet, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang—have also been mirrored. These mirror sites bypass the Great Firewall by being hosted on services like Amazon and Microsoft, which authorities are reluctant to block wholesale due to their broader economic and infrastructural importance. The tactic, dubbed “collateral freedom,” makes censorship too costly for governments to enforce without disrupting critical web infrastructure.

The results are significant. In Russia, Meduza’s mirror portals receive over 400,000 visits each month, while The Moscow Times attracts around 200,000. These platforms continue to inform the public on war, corruption, repression, and resistance, offering narratives absent from state-controlled media.

RSF also supports media partners with tools and training to deploy their mirrors, ensuring sustainability and autonomy. Their long-term vision is to create a resilient digital ecosystem where censorship can be consistently undermined.

This initiative reaffirms that in the digital age, information suppression can be reversed with strategic technological intervention. Operation Collateral Freedom not only restores silenced voices but sends a powerful message: that access to truth, even in repressive environments, can be protected—and multiplied.

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