Moscow sharpens its pressure on VPNs
Russia is preparing to step up its crackdown on Virtual Private Networks, the tools millions of Russians use to get around state censorship and internet controls, according to the country’s digital minister.
The move is part of what diplomats have described as Russia’s "great crackdown," a period in which authorities have repeatedly blocked mobile internet, jammed major messaging services and given themselves broad powers to shut down mass communications when they feel like it, which is always a reassuring sign.
"The task is reduce VPN usage," Digital Minister Maksut Shadayev said late on Monday through the state-backed messenger MAX. He added that the ministry wanted to impose the restrictions with as little disruption to ordinary users as possible.
Shadayev also said decisions had already been made to restrict access to an unspecified number of foreign platforms, though he did not name them.
A wider squeeze on the Russian internet
Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the government has introduced some of its most restrictive laws since the Soviet era. Those measures have expanded censorship and strengthened the role of the Federal Security Service, the main successor to the KGB.
The pressure has increased again in recent months. Authorities have moved to block WhatsApp, slow down Telegram and repeatedly jam mobile internet in Moscow and other cities and regions.
The Kremlin says foreign platforms have not complied with Russian law and argues that mobile internet restrictions are needed to counter mass Ukrainian drone attacks.
By mid-January, Russia had blocked more than 400 VPNs, according to Kommersant. That was 70 per cent more than at the end of last year.
But the effort has a familiar problem: it is mostly a race against software, and software tends to be annoying that way. As soon as officials block one VPN, another appears, and many young Russians reportedly switch services every day, according to Reuters reporters.
Moscow residents feel the impact
In early March, many foreign websites were blocked on mobile phones in central Moscow under restrictions that have lasted for more than a week. The shutdown has disrupted the daily routines of millions of residents and hit businesses that depend on cellphone internet to function at all, which is to say, almost all of them.
Russian officials have said the restrictions are part of security measures aimed at stopping Ukrainian drone attacks. But many industry experts believe the measures may also be preparing the ground for a broader block on Russians’ access to the global internet if the Kremlin decides to go that far.
