Russia VPN Restrictions
According to RIA, Russia intends to block specific VPNs and protocols labeled as threatening by a team of experts, as reported by the state news agency. The surge in demand for VPN services followed Russia’s limitations on access to certain Western social media platforms after President Vladimir Putin’s decision to deploy troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
In 2017, a Russian law mandated VPN technology providers to collaborate with authorities and restrict access to content banned by Russia; otherwise, they risk being banned themselves. Despite these regulations, many VPN services are still widely used across Russia. Lawmakers have been debating the extent to which they should block VPNs that offer access to prohibited information alongside a wide array of other content.
Lawmaker Concerns and Digital Ministry’s Response
RIA cited the digital ministry’s response to concerns raised by lawmaker Anton Tkachev regarding purported plans to effectively block all VPNs. Tkachev argued that such a move would increase pressure on Russians by limiting their access to basic household tools. The ministry, as per RIA, stated that certain VPN services and protocols could be filtered on the mobile communication network for foreign traffic identified as a threat, based on decisions by the expert commission. The ministry emphasized that circumventing restrictions on specific information was considered a threat as well.
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