Russians use smart cat feeders to communicate amid internet restrictions
From smart cat feeders and robot vacuum cleaners to online chess, Russians have found new ways to communicate with loved ones as foreign messaging apps have been blacklisted.
The Russian government continues blocking the internet, which authorities say is necessary to prevent Ukrainian drone attacks, and restricting the use of foreign messaging apps and online services.
The restrictions come as part of the government’s efforts to push Russians to install its controlled messaging app MAX, which critics say will further increase surveillance of ordinary citizens.
This forced Russians to look for alternative communication channels, including household appliances, online games, and office tools, Meduza reports.
A video of a woman calling her parents in Russia from Bali recently went viral, as she used a cat feeder equipped with a camera and built-in calling features.
“Not POV, but real: It’s 2026, everything is blocked, and you’re communicating with parents through a cat feeder,” she wrote.
Others turned to robot vacuum cleaners with cameras, microphones, and speakers for online calls, according to Meduza.
The official newspaper Kommersant recently reported that Russians have been messaging each other through online games, such as chess apps, and through the language-learning platform Duolingo.
Online documents that enable collaborative editing, such as Google Docs or Yandex Docs, are also increasingly used for regular chats.
Russia is also tightening its grip on messaging app Telegram, used by approximately 60% of the country’s population, both government supporters and opponents alike.
The instant messaging app also serves as a major news source and a crucial tool for communication for Russian troops invading Ukraine.
However, pro-war bloggers criticized plans to block Telegram, arguing that losing access to the app would hamper their ability to share battlefield information and conduct fundraising.
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