Learning that someone has mysteriously obtained 20 million phone numbers and 140 million email addresses usually isn't a good thing. In the case of "squad303," however, that contact information is being used to help Russians learn the truth of what's happening in Ukraine.
The Wall Street Journal reports that "a group of Polish programmers" set up the squad303 website, which displays a random phone number or email address belonging to someone in Russia, to help people evade the Russian government's efforts to censor news about Ukraine.
Efforts to keep Russians informed about the invasion of Ukraine have become increasingly vital as the Russian government has moved to restrict access to platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram while simultaneously intimidating Western media outlets with a new "fake news" law.
The Journal reports that "thousands of people across the globe, including many in the U.S., have used the site to send millions of messages in Russian, footage from the war, or images of Western media coverage documenting Russia’s assault on civilians," since its March 6 debut.