tech

December 30, 2025

Blind Russians lose access to accessibility app Be My Eyes as Internet restrictions tighten

Since mid-December, the app Be My Eyes — designed to assist blind and visually-impaired people — has been barely functional in much of Russia. Some users suspected the service had been blocked. Roskomnadzor, Russia’s federal censorship agency, claims that isn’t the case.

Blind Russians lose access to accessibility app Be My Eyes as Internet restrictions tighten

TL;DR

  • The Be My Eyes app, assisting blind and visually-impaired people, has been experiencing severe accessibility issues in Russia since mid-December.
  • Be My Eyes confirms the problem, attributing it to potential blocking of their third-party technology service providers within Russia.
  • Roskomnadzor, Russia's federal censorship agency, denies that the service has been blocked.
  • The app connects users with sighted volunteers via live video for tasks requiring vision and also features an AI assistant for image descriptions.
  • Other online services like FaceTime, WhatsApp, and Telegram have also faced restrictions or throttling in Russia.
  • A petition on Change.org calls for Russian authorities to "white list" Be My Eyes, ensuring its availability.
  • In 2022, Russia had approximately 3,000 blind or visually-impaired users of Be My Eyes and around 35,000 Russian-speaking volunteers.

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