Russia is gearing up to ban VPNs in its state-mandated app store, RuStore, just over a month after announcing the compulsory installation of RuStore on all devices.
The nation’s aggressive stance on internet freedom and online anonymity has manifested in laws and announcements, revealing a broader strategy to suppress dissent, control content, and keep a tight grip on the nation’s digital landscape.
VPN Clampdown, Eliminating Online Anonymity
Russia’s Senator Artem Sheikin has announced that, from Mar. 1, 2024, Russia intends to block VPN services that provide access to sites banned within the country, Reuters reported on Oct. 3.
The Roskomnadzor, Russia’s communications enforcement agency, will spearhead this effort. The reason for this VPN ban, as Sheikin pointed out, is primarily to block access to platforms owned by Meta, which the government has labeled an extremist organization.
This isn’t Russia’s first attempt to restrict VPN usage. Previous VPN bans saw several major VPN providers, such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and IPVanish, blocked by the Roskomnadzor.
In August, Russia mandated the RuStore to be pre-installed on devices, “even in the event of a ban or restriction on the part of the copyright holder of the operating system or affiliated structures,” Russian news agency TASS reported.
Behind these moves lies the Kremlin’s broader strategy to dominate the narrative. In the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, VPN usage surged as citizens sought unfiltered, unbiased information about the conflict, bypassing state-propagated narratives.
To combat this, the government attempted to use scare tactics earlier this year. The Roskomnadzor even issued warnings about the dangers of VPNs, falsely claiming that users’ private data might be stolen if they relied on these services.
The decision to ban VPNs on RuStore is in line with the Russian government’s decision to obliterate online anonymity. In July, President Vladamir Putin approved a new law that requires internet platforms to verify new users’ identities via state-approved systems before they can access online services, TorrentFreak reported.
The law also prohibits registering on Russian platforms with foreign email systems like Gmail or Apple.
This crackdown comes in the wake of legislative efforts wrapped in anti-Western sentiment and reveals a trend toward isolating Russia’s internet. The notorious “Sovereign RuNet” initiative, for instance, seeks to put Russia’s internet segment behind a massive firewall, rendering it an isolated digital ecosystem.
RuStore: The Russian App Store
RuStore, an exclusive app store, signals Russia’s digital sovereignty ambitions. This store currently hosts several VPN apps, but the future looks bleak for them as the clampdown intensifies.
While the Russian government escalates its efforts to control online narratives, all is not lost. Despite these impending restrictions, some VPN services, known for their resilience against censorship regimes, will likely continue to work.
As the digital landscape in Russia grows increasingly restrictive, citizens and global observers alike can only hope that these digital barriers will not silence the quest for truth and freedom.
We recommend users in Russia install a reputable VPN before this new ban takes effect to ensure their continued ability to access unfiltered information. However, remember that this may land you in trouble.
Check out our article on bypassing internet censorship in Russia to learn about other online tools you can use to access the web freely.
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