The majority of Russians did not support blocking foreign services, according to a poll by the pro-government VTsIOM. 

VTsIOM Analytical Center опубликовал The results of a survey on Russians' attitudes toward digital platform blocking were presented. The findings and infographics were presented as if the majority were in favor of the restrictions, although it turns out that 76% of respondents disapproved of the blocking. 

"One in four residents of the country unequivocally supports such decisions, a third are indifferent to them, and four out of ten respondents are against them," the analysts write. 

According to VTsIOM, opinions vary depending on age and habits: younger respondents perceive the restrictions as an intrusion into their "familiar digital space." Older Russians, on the contrary, see the blocking as an "element of protection and order." According to the survey, Russians were most concerned with the YouTube blocking, while only 2% mentioned Instagram. 

About a third of respondents believe that blocking will spur the development of Russian services, while 16% see the restrictions as a deterioration in service quality, reduced competition, and a shift to inconvenient platforms. The majority were indifferent to the use of VPN services. 

Comments on VTsIOM's posts and thematic stream confirm that there is widespread disapproval of blocking measures in Russia.

"In fact, the majority doesn't support many things. The problem is that the majority has no influence over that one politician who lives by his own interests and for whom the majority's opinion means nothing," "The absolute majority of citizens are against blocking!", "Today, power can only be maintained by restricting constitutional rights and freedoms; otherwise, the collapse of the existing political system is a matter of time," "I don't know what kind of older generation is in favor of blocking; my blind mother, for example, can't make calls to WhatsApp through Google Assistant anymore."