Russia VPN: Kremlin claims no blocking plans "yet," but usage may be still at risk

Icon of blocked VPN on a black smartphone screen on a man hands. Blocking VPN services concept
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Security software providers and citizens breathed a sigh of relief on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, when the Kremlin announced no further plans "yet" to block VPNs in Russia

Russian authorities have long been battling against the use of these circumventing tools as they allow citizens to bypass strict government-imposed online restrictions. However, these efforts haven't always achieved the desired results—for instance, VPN downloads in Russia have skyrocketed since the conflict in Ukraine began.

The announcement comes after months of speculation over the new measures expected to target software providing Russians access to banned content. However, experts still argue that VPN usage might be at risk.

Russia VPN censorship

According to Stanislav Shakirov, CTO of the Russian digital rights group Roskomsvoboda, the new announcement isn't really about blocking VPN service, per se, as some of the VPNs, he said, have been blocked for a very long time.

"From March 1, 2024, information about ways to circumvent blocking, about tools, popularization of VPNs, etc. is going to be blocked," he told me.

This doesn't come as a total surprise, either.

Did you know?

Shape of Russia filled with Russian flag-colored internet codes on a black hacking background

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Russian Senator Artem Sheikin, the deputy chairman of the Council for the Development of the Digital Economy, first disclosed the plan for yet another VPN censorship crusade in October last year. Then, the head of the government's initiative Safe Internet League, Yekaterina Mizulina, confirmed that the plan was "most likely" to happen the day before the Kremlin issued the denial—the Moscow Times reported

Short for virtual private network, a VPN is security software that encrypts internet connections to offer better anonymity and privacy online. It also spoofs your IP address to trick the sites you visit into thinking you're browsing from a different country entirely and grants access to geo-restricted content. The latter ability is exactly why many countries worldwide are boosting their VPN censorship tactics.

Last year in April, the Kremlin launched a new disinformation campaign to dissuade citizens from using these tools. This was followed by fresh new regulations which, among other things, forbid publishing information about ways to circumvent content blocking. That's exactly what Shakirov believes the new rules against VPNs are all about.

He said: "I assume that in accordance with the law on information removal, the authorities will start blocking sites that contain information related to VPN. There will be warnings given to all sites that have relevant articles, reviews, advertisements."

The founder of one of these precious resources himself—Privacy Accelerator—Shakirov prospects that any website and online service refusing to remove such information will be blocked. 

"We expect that this may affect not only VPN providers, but also media and public organizations, including Roskomsvoboda," he added. "It will also affect aggregator websites that are used by VPN-providers to receive traffic."

What's certain is that, while the infamous country's telecom regulator Roskomnadzor has been feeding its centralized internet blacklist since 2012 with online content deemed illegal, citizens have been turning en masse to secure VPN solutions—especially following the boost in censorship after the invasion in Ukraine began.

Many of the censored URLs and domain names are actually VPN official websites which rejected the government's new requirements

This meant that providers had to find alternative ways to reach customers. They also invested in boosting their infrastructure with obfuscation technology and similar censorship-resistant features to evade the Kremlin's crackdown. All these efforts may be rendered obsolete very soon.

Shakirov expects to see all the information around security software moving away from the web to Telegram, passing by word of mouth between citizens instead.

He said: "This situation will affect the way people learn about VPN and buy it. If this information is currently publicly available, in the future it is going to be a little bit more difficult to get such type of information."

Disclaimer

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Chiara Castro
News Editor (Tech Software)

Chiara is a multimedia journalist committed to covering stories to help promote the rights and denounce the abuses of the digital side of life – wherever cybersecurity, markets, and politics tangle up. She writes news, interviews, and analysis on data privacy, online censorship, digital rights, cybercrime, and security software, with a special focus on VPNs, for TechRadar and TechRadar Pro. Got a story, tip-off, or something tech-interesting to say? Reach out to chiara.castro@futurenet.com

Read more
Vector illustration of the word Censored in a glitch distorted style
Google, Apple, and internet restriction – how Big Tech is making censorship "much worse" according to experts
VPN world map
119 countries saw VPN usage soar in 2024 during times of political crisis
A logo of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is seen on its headquarters building in Islamabad on August 16, 2024.
Pakistan's quest to regulate VPN usage is still up and running
Woman hands and flag of Venezuela on computer, laptop keyboard
After TikTok, Venezuela blocks VPN websites
VPN
7 VPN predictions to look out for in 2025
Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko gestures as he delivers a speech during a rally held to support him in central Minsk, on August 16, 2020.
Belarus elections: how likely is an information blackout?
Latest in VPN
A hand holds a smartphone displaying the NordVPN logo
NordVPN Prime hits lowest-ever price in VPN Spring sale
Digital hand set location on map with two pins. AI technology in GPs, innovation delivery, map location, future transport logistic, route path concept. GPs point. New office location, change address
What does your IP address reveal about you?
ExpressVPN mobile app and Aircove
ExpressVPN ‘reduces workforce’ for the second time in two years
A stethoscope next to a laptop on a pink background
How to check if your VPN is working
Teenager playing on a gaming PC with two monitors
Is using a VPN while gaming cheating? 5 myths you shouldn't believe about gaming with a VPN
Neon blue email symbols on a black background
Why am I suddenly getting so many spam emails?
Latest in News
Tesla Roadster 2
Tesla is still taking deposits on its long overdue Roadster, despite promising it would arrive in 2020
Samsung HW-Q990D soundbar with Halloween theme over the top
Samsung promises to repair soundbars bricked by its disastrous software update for free – but it'll probably involve shipping
Google Gemini AI
Gmail is adding a new Gemini AI tool to help smarten up your work emails
DJI Mavic 3 Pro
More DJI Mavic 4 Pro leaks seemingly reveal launch date, price and key features of the triple camera drone – here's what to expect
Android 16 logo on a phone
Here's how Android 16 will upgrade the screen unlocking process on your Pixel
Man sitting on sofa, drinking coffee, looking at phone in surprise
Thousands of coffee lovers warned to stop using their espresso machines immediately after reports of burns and lacerations