Russia blocks almost 200 VPN services, but the Kremlin still wants to use them
Nearly 200 VPN services – 197 to be precise – are now blocked in Russia. An official from the country’s notorious censorship organization, Roskomnadzor, proudly announced the total on Thursday, October 24, 2024, as reported by Russia’s Interfax news agency.
But ironically, authorities want to continue using this popular security software. As an independent news channel of Russia Novaja Gazeta reports thisthe Kremlin spent more than 14 billion rubles (about $145 million) this year on purchasing 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 especially useful for Russians who want to use VPNs to bypass strict internet restrictions – exactly what authorities are trying to prevent.
In fact, Roskomnadzor official Sergey Khutortsev specifically said that authorities have only banned VPN services “used as a way to bypass blocking.”
The fight against VPN in Russia
Roskomnadzor’s fight against these apps is nothing new, but the scale of Russia’s efforts to block VPNs is certainly increasing.
The first massive VPN blocking campaign took place in 2021, with brands like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and IPvanish all falling within Russia’s reach at the time. After the war in Ukraine broke out in 2022, things took another step further.
Do you know that?
Both Freedom House And Reporters Without Borders (RSF) classify Russia as one of the worst countries in terms of internet freedom due to its high level of internet censorship. All major social media platforms are blocked, along with an ever-growing list of websites, including news sites and even official sites of some VPN providers.
2024 was a big year for the Kremlin’s crusade against VPNs in Russia. Since March, a new law has criminalized the distribution of information about ways to circumvent internet restrictions, including VPNs.
About 60 VPN apps quietly disappeared from the Apple App Store in Russia between early July and September, bringing the total to 98 unavailable applications on the Big Tech giant’s official store.
In September 2024, authorities also announced plans to invest more than half a billion dollars to strengthen the censorship system against VPN use.
If you live in Russia or plan to visit soon, it’s a good idea to check out our best free VPN guide. Download a selection of free VPNs so you can jump from one to another when blocks occur. Tools like Tor Browser and Free browser (Android only) can also help you bypass restrictions and they are also completely free to use.