MOSCOW

Several people were detained in Moscow at the planned site of a rally against internet restrictions, an Anadolu correspondent reported from the site.

Police refused to comment on the number of people detained, but Russian outlet OVD-Info claimed there were eight.

The protest, which city officials refused to approve, was scheduled for 3 pm Moscow time (1200GMT).

Beforehand, security forces began gathering in the square and checking the documents of passersby.

City officials also ordered the taping of benches in the nearby garden square to prevent gatherings.

In Russia, internet restrictions have expanded significantly under laws requiring companies to store user data locally and block content deemed illegal by authorities, such as material supporting extremism or unauthorized protests.

The government maintains a centralized system for traffic routing and filtering, often restricting access to foreign platforms such as X and Facebook, both of them based in the US.