Russian citizens have been relying on VPN services for the past few years to access information restricted by the Kremlin.
Just like China, Russia dominates its media landscape; controlling the majority of national print outlets, radio, and television networks.
Now, the latest effort of the Russian government to further restrict the information its residents can access has been announced.
Russian Senator Confirms Russia's Mass VPN Blockage
According to Reuters' latest report, Russian Senator Artem Sheikin confirmed that a mass virtual private networks ban will be imposed as soon as 2024.
The ruling United Russia party senator said that this order from the Roskomnadzor will come into effect on March 1. Once this happens, VPNs will be blocked in the country.
"From March 1, 2024, an order will come into force to block VPN services providing access to sites banned in Russia," said Sheikin.
When media outlets tried calling the number listed by Roskomnadzor, they were only answered by a voice message with the Bobby McFerrin song "Don't Worry Be Happy."
Meanwhile, the Russian watchdog hasn't made any comments regarding the upcoming VPN restriction.
Sheikin explained that blocking VPNs is necessary to restrict access to Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, which are all owned by U.S. tech firm Meta Platforms.
"I would like to note that it is especially important to restrict citizens' access to the products of Meta which is recognized as an extremist organization," added the Russian senator via Channel News Asia.
As of writing, Sheikin hasn't confirmed if all VPNs will be blocked. However, he said that virtual private networks giving access to Instagram are among VPNs that will be banned.
Usage of VPNs in Russia Increase Significantly
Statistics showed that the demand for VPN services in Russia has been increasing significantly ever since the Russian government decided to restrict access to Western social media platforms.
The U.K. Defense Intelligence explained that the Kremlin considers VPNs as among the greatest risks in its efforts to control the nation's domestic information.
Before the wide VPN ban was announced, the Russian government already conducted numerous methods to decrease VPN usage in the country.
These include increasing technical disruptions, as well as launching a public information campaign to scare residents and encourage them to avoid using VPNs.
