Russia’s internet watchdog Roskomnadzor said any social media accounts linked to jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s “extremist organizations” and their regional branches should be blocked, the Moscow Times reported July 28. Roskomnadzor claimed that the accounts contained "calls to carry out the extremist activity and mass unrest" and that they supported Navalny's outfits financially.

On July 26, the Russian government blocked 49 websites linked to Navalny, including his personal website where he published investigations into alleged high-level corruption. On July 15, Russian authorities also banned the investigative news outlet Proekt, which was reportedly preparing to publish a major expose on Russian President Vladimir Putin in the coming weeks.