Almost 200 VPN services – 197 to be precise – are now blocked in Russia. An official of the country’s infamous censor body, Roskomnadzor, proudly announced the total on Thursday, October 24, 2024, as reported by Russian news agency Interfax.
Ironically, though, authorities want to keep using this popular security software. As Russia’s independent news outlet Novaya Gazeta reported, the Kremlin has spent over 14 billion rubles (about $145 million) this year to purchase VPN connections for government use.
A VPN, short for virtual private network, is a security tool that encrypts users’ internet connections and masks their real IP address location. The second of these features is particularly useful to Russians who wish to use VPNs to bypass stringent internet restrictions – exactly what the authorities are seeking to prevent.
In fact, Sergey Khutortsev, the Roskomnadzor official, said specifically that the authorities have only banned VPN services “used as a means of bypassing blocking”.
The fight against VPN in Russia
Roskomnadzor’s fight against these apps is nothing new but the scale of Russia’s VPN blocking efforts is definitely intensifying.
The first mass VPN blocking campaign took place in 2021, with the likes of ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and IPvanish all falling foul of Russia’s reach at that time. Things took another step on after the war in Ukraine began in 2022.
Both Freedom House and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) classify Russia as one of the worst countries for internet freedom due to high levels of internet censorship. All major social media platforms are blocked along with an ever-growing list of websites that include news sites and even official sites of some VPN providers.
2024 has been a big year for the Kremlin’s crusade against VPNs in Russia. Since March, a new law has criminalized the spread of information about ways to circumvent internet restrictions – VPNs included.
About 60 VPN apps silently disappeared from the Apple App Store in Russia between early July and September, bringing the total to 98 unavailable applications in the Big Tech giant’s official store.
In September 2024, authorities also announced plans to invest over half a billion US dollars to beef up its censorship system against VPN usage.
If you’re living in, or planning to visit, Russia anytime soon, it would be a good idea to take a look at our best free VPN guide. Download a selection of free VPNs and then you’ll be able to hop from one to another if any blocks arise. Tools like Tor Browser and FreeBrowser (Android only) can also help you bypass restrictions and they are completely free to use as well.