The Unseen Assembly: Russia’s Final Blackout on Parliamentary Transparency

Beyond the aesthetics of the politicians themselves, the ban also serves to protect the "sensitive" information that often rests on the desks of the deputies. Recent warnings to lawmakers included reminders that long-focus lenses could capture text on documents or private messages on tablet screens. While presented as a security concern, this further isolates the legislative process from any form of external verification. If the press cannot see what is being read or discussed on the floor, the "plenary session" becomes a mere performance, while the actual mechanics of governance remain hidden in plain sight, protected by the absence of a zooming lens.