In countries where internet access faces restrictions, from general government censorship through to more limited site-blocking programs to protect copyright, citizens have grown comfortable with the use of VPNs.

In Russia, where the government censors certain material and has an anti-piracy site-blocking regime on top, around 20% of the internet population regularly use VPNs.

While accessing blocked websites and communicating in relative privacy is now fairly common, the government would like sites carrying “illegal information” to remain inaccessible. But after endless legal tweaks, advice, orders, and confused messaging that mostly contradicts reality on the ground, Russians may be a little confused by now.

New Law Isn’t a VPN Ban, Illegal VPNs Are Already Banned

Sites blocked by the government, whether they’re pirate sites or those branded extremist by the state, are blocked for good reasons, authorities insist. Facebook and Instagram, for example, are both blocked for being extremist platforms, so when people use VPNs to undermine blocking, they put themselves at risk.

Given that over the years Russians have grown fond of their VPNs, the government hasn’t immediately spoiled things by simply taking them away. Instead, authorities determine the quality and security of a VPN provider based on its operator’s willingness to cooperate with the government. On the other hand, less cooperative overseas VPN providers with a presence in Russia, are known to suddenly experience connectivity issues.

Faced with an untenable situation, some VPNs threw in the towel and never looked back. When new legislation compelled VPNs to register with the government, and leave the ‘back door’ open in case officials needed to call round for a coffee, almost all reputable overseas providers chose privacy over certification and began to leave. Meanwhile, local VPN companies with official approval found themselves declared legal, while those without certification were legally unable to do business.

That line in the sand now allows the government to identify safe, legal services; all are registered with the state, they enjoy coffee, and would never dream of undermining state censorship. Obviously unsafe and most probably dangerous, illegal VPN providers are not registered, enjoy privacy, and want to help users to circumvent site-blocking. As a result, 167 unregistered VPN providers and 200 email providers were blocked according to a report last October.

VPNs Still Available, Time For More Action

Providing a service to unblock blocked internet resources has been illegal in Russia since February 2020, but judging by the volume of VPNs still available for Android and iOS devices, not everyone got the memo.

In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, imposition of sanctions prompted the Kremlin to step up imports via the back door while simultaneously winding up the drawbridge on some Western tech platforms. With Google Play and Apple’s App Store less useful than before, Russia launched its own variant, RuStore, which at last count was also offering VPNs to the masses, in large numbers and mostly without hindrance .

VPNs capable of tunneling to the nearest pirate site or accessing the extremists of Instagram, remain popular in Russia. Advertising and recommendations help to quickly spread the news but for Moscow, that’s unacceptable and needs to change.

In the summer of 2023, a new phase of the Kremlin’s plan was made public . With the introduction of yet more new law, posting information online that amounts to promotion or advice on how to use VPNs, Tor, or similar tools, for the purposes of circumventing blocking, was about to become a criminal offense.

Promotion of Unblocking Tools Illegal From Today

From today, publishing information about tools that undermine blocking in Russia, including ads for VPN services with circumvention capability, is a criminal offense punishable by fines of up to four million rubles (US$43,840). Roscomnadzor says the law won’t target the general public, but there are few bright lines to differentiate sellers online.

Other enforcement measures available to the telecoms regulator include blocking any offending materials in the same way blocking is carried out against other content. Roscomnadzor will also attempt to purge search engine results mentioning VPN providers that are blocked already in Russia or otherwise found to be illegal. The latter group could be sizeable since any unblocking-capable provider without a government issued license is automatically considered illegal.

And VPN PSYOPs, obviously

In April 2023, a series of PSAs appeared in Russia hoping to scare the masses away from VPNs by their own free will. The video shorts majored on data leaks, blackmail, threat to personal information, plus a seemingly psychic man who understood everything about his partner on their first date, purely because she used a VPN.

That campaign was put together by ROCIT, the government-funded Center for Internet Technologies. Right on cue, ROCIT conducted some new research on VPNs recently, the results of which are published on its website (Russian, pdf) . They’re a little puzzling, let’s put it that way.

“[RCOIT] conducted a study of VPN services in terms of the content of their data processing policies and applicable processing laws in the country of registration of the owner company,” ROCIT’s conclusions begin.

“Despite restrictions, regular data leaks and risks, a significant proportion of Russians continue to use VPN services,” ROCIT adds, noting that over one-in-five Russians use a VPN while 40% believe they’re unsafe.

The providers studied by ROCIT read as follows: Lantern VPN, Psiphon, Safe Connect VPN, Tunnel Bear VPN, Proton VPN, AdGuard VPN, Express VPN, VPN Proxy Master, Surfshark, Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 +Warp Hide.me VPN and VPN – Super Unlimited Proxy.

Other than their names, no further information is provided about the assessment of the providers, with the same going for the study itself. Nevertheless, ROCIT reached the following conclusions:

VPN services, as a rule, operate with a standard set of data for online services: account information, user IP address, payment information, information about the user’s device, and so on.

In addition, VPN services for the most part do not recognize at the policy level the receipt of data about the resources visited by a specific user. Statistical and analytical data, such as the volume of data transferred, may also be collected. However, some services may collect location data.

The study also notes that the jurisdiction that provides the least guarantees for users is the United States, and the most protected from a legal point of view is the personal data of users in Switzerland. The United States has the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which allows surveillance of non-US citizens.

In addition, US Executive Order No. 12333 applies, which allows the interception of data transmitted through the States. And the Stored Communications Act allows law enforcement agencies to obtain data stored by operators based on court orders

It’s hard to say whether users of VPN – Super Unlimited Proxy factored in the above when developing their threat model, but they’re on notice now and there are millions of them.

For its part, Roscomnadzor seemed a little short on ideas, eventually concluding that criminals can use VPNs to carry out crimes .

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

Last December, Italy’s much-debated ‘Piracy Shield’ anti-piracy system went live in a limited capacity.

With a legal challenge thwarted , the blocking efforts are now gearing up, with Internet services as rightsholders’ weapon of choice.

Italy’s telecoms regulator AGCOM is the arbiter and previously declared the technological and procedural rules. In essence, these require ISPs, DNS resolvers, and other intermediaries to block pirate IP-addresses within thirty minutes of being alerted. The leading authority made it clear that VPN services are no exception .

“[A]ll parties in any capacity involved in the accessibility of illegally disseminated content – and therefore also, by way of example and not limitation – VPN and open DNS service providers, will have to execute the blocks requested by the Authority [AGCOM],” the notice read.

AirVPN ‘Blocks’ Italians

Following the announcement, there hasn’t been much response from VPNs, until this week, when AirVPN decided to close its doors to Italian subscribers. The company, which is based in Italy, argues that it has no other option given Piracy Shield’s burdensome requirements.

Instead of having a team available around the clock to implement the latest DNS and IP-address blockades, AirVPN believes that denying all Italians access is the best choice at this time. This policy, requiring all customers to declare that they’re not from Italy, will officially go into effect on February 19.

Part of the problem is that the blockades will have to be implemented within 30 minutes, even if there are clear errors, AirVPN says. Another concern is the absence of a formal judicial review. There is an option to appeal, but only after the blockades are live.

Widespread Blocking

The Piracy Shield system is just getting underway but AirVPN fears that it might ultimately lead to widespread blocking. While AirVPN could technically comply, the company can’t justify the costs.

“[The] requirements are too burdensome for AirVPN, both economically and technically. They are also incompatible with AirVPN’s mission and would negatively impact service performance. They pave the way for widespread blockages in all areas of human activity and possible interference with fundamental rights,” AirVPN staff notes.

“[I]n the past each individual blockade was carefully evaluated either by the judiciary or by the authorities, now any review is completely lost.”

No Other Option

AirVPN believes that ‘Piracy Shield’ gives private entities, often representatives of rightsholders, enormous power. They can order intermediaries to block content without third-party verification, and without having to fear damages or fines for potential mistakes.

Speaking with TorrentFreak, AirVPN’s Paolo Brini says that the company regrets having to take this decision. In addition to practical issues, blocking goes against the company’s core commitments.

“According to our mission and commitments, the end-to-end principle and Net Neutrality should not be violated deliberately in the absence of a proper court order. Furthermore, any block should be brought on with all the safeguards provided by due process,” Brini says.

The VPN company itself remains incorporated in Italy but the company says that it’s is exploring other options too. AirVPN staff sympathize with fellow Italians, suggesting they can still use the Tor network instead. However, AirVPN sees no other option than to ‘leave’ Italy, at least virtually.

“By withdrawing service availability from Italy, AirVPN will be able to stay outside the scope of the framework and maintain integrity and efficient operations,” the company concludes.

At the time of writing, VPNs are not yet directed by AGCOM to take action, but that’s expected to change in the future, following discussions with stakeholders.

As covered earlier today, Italian authorities now say that the Piracy Shield blocking system is now fully operational . The first three official targets are traditional pirate sites; Calcio.re, Stream.lc, and re-fast.myworldiptv.xyz.

—

H/T: Tarnkappe.

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

VPN providers with any infrastructure in Russia have experienced problems for years.

Today’s bottom line for anonymizing privacy services is that they must comply with Russia’s site-blocking demands and open up themselves up to scrutiny. Since the alternative is to break the law and face the consequences, many providers have pulled out of Russia completely.

In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, telecoms watchdog Rozkomnadzor stepped up its campaign against search engines. Demands to delist hundreds of thousands of VPN-related URLs from search results run alongside questionable requests to remove other content.

Despite renewed crackdowns on VPNs and Tor , it seems likely that Russia understands that short of blocking everything , blocking every VPN service and thousands of apps that constantly surface is impossible. As such, other methods are being explored.

Anti-VPN Scare Campaign

Public Service Announcements (PSA) have been deployed to nudge citizens in the right direction on genuine issues of public welfare for decades. They’re also used to direct behavior in a way that benefits governments and corporations while making it appear that the interests of citizens are paramount.

Currently being spread via social media, the general premise of Russia’s anti-VPN campaign is that since no VPN service can be trusted with users’ private data, using a VPN is worse for privacy than not using a VPN at all.

The campaign is the work of ROCIT , which describes itself as a “public organization that unites active Internet users in Russia.” Funded by the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media ( Minkomsvyaz ), ROCIT issues advice on piracy , net neutrality and other internet-related issues, in line with government policy.

Campaign Videos

PSA 1: ‘Your Data Can Be Leaked Online Due to VPN’

ROCIT advice: “VPN services accumulate a huge amount of personal data, including information about bank cards and personal documents of the user. Subsequently, all this can be transferred to intruders and scammers, including fraudulent call centers..”

In the video: The customer is asked whether she will be paying by cash or card. When choosing card, the barman begins reciting details of the card (account number, expiry date, CVV number) before she hands it over – apparently because the customer previously used a VPN.

PSA 2: “There is a price to pay for data security. Sometimes too expensive. In the pursuit of viewing content on banned social networks, think about it, but is it worth it?”

In the video: The customer requests the bill. The waiter addresses the customer with his full name and requests an extortionate amount. The customer is surprised since all he bought was a single cup of coffee. The waiter explains that the amount also covers his wife not being informed that he’s having a secret affair.

PSA 3: “Checkout, a full basket of products, a store employee scans each product and tells you the amount of the purchase. And then the passport number, full name, age and address of registration. Yes, now the cashier can check not only products, but also any data about you.”

In the video: The customer asks if she needs to show her passport for identification. The cashier says it’s not necessary and then recites the customer’s full name, date and place of birth, and where she lives now.

PSA 4: “Leaked personal data that everyone already knows about? Thank you VPN service. Once again you did not let us down!”

In the video: A man opens the door and says that he’s here for an interview. He starts to say his name but the interviewer already knows it.

“Let’s list your qualities,” she says. “A fan of computer games and dubious websites. You haven’t paid your child support for two years. Most importantly…your dignity,” the interviewer adds, using her fingers to suggest she’s aware of the size of…something. The man says he thinks he should leave.

PSA 5: “Only the person to whom you entrusted your personal data knows this. Do you know who you entrusted them to?”

In the video: The couple are having their first date yet the man speaks as if he’s known the woman her entire life.

He knows the name of her former partner and says she spent the previous evening cuddling her cat ‘Tima’ while watching the movie Bridget Jones. Where did he get all of this information? She used a VPN.

Rozkomnadzor (and users) Comment on Videos

Commenting on its official Telegram channel on Saturday, telecoms watchdog Rozkomnadzor acknowledged the ROCIT campaign with the following statement.

“In social networks, videos with social advertising [PSAs] about the risks of using VPN services are discussed. According to the Communications Law, means of bypassing blocking of illegal content are recognized as a threat, as they create conditions for illegal activities,” Rozkomnadzor notes .

“VPN services can give users the wrong impression of their own anonymity on the Internet. However, foreign owners of such services have access to all information that Russian users transmit through them.”

Perhaps a more nuanced approach would be to help users understand that random free VPN apps downloaded from the internet are of greatest concern, but in a country where recognized VPN services have been forced to leave or have agreed to monitoring, few good choices remain. Rozcomnadzor’s messaging suggests that there are no good options.

Comments are mostly blocked on the videos but some did manage to get through.

“Maybe you should allow VPNs so that people choose proven, popular VPN services, and not look for those that have not yet been blocked? Or maybe unblock popular sites so people don’t really need to use VPN?” one commenter wrote.

Another was less than impressed by the video featuring the blackmailing waiter.

“What a stinky bastard you are. Why the hell would a random waiter know data from a VPN? Does he work as a hacker or VPN server operator in the evenings? Just taking people for idiots.”

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

VPNs are valuable tools for people who want to access the Internet securely and with decent privacy.

These services are vital for whistleblowers, activists, and citizens rebelling against Government oppression.

The latter has become clear once again in recent months, with Iran pulling out all the stops to block VPN services that dare to offer protesters a window to the rest of the world.

In response, some of the more serious VPN providers have taken countermeasures by offering special servers to Iranians to bypass restrictions and using channels such as Telegram to reach out to them. This is having a positive effect but Iran isn’t sitting idle and its blocking efforts are continuous.

The situation in Iran demonstrates the crucial role VPNs play in the fight against censorship. However, Iran is not the only country suppressing access to these services; China and Russia are well known for their own restrictive policies.

ACT Against VPN Restrictions

These types of restrictions are problematic according to ‘ ACT | The App Association ‘, a trade organization that represents thousands of startups and small businesses in the software industry. The organization recently shared its concerns with the U.S. Trade Representative.

The U.S. Government completes an annual review of various trade barriers around the globe and ACT believes that overly restrictive policies deserve to be called out. This includes Russia’s VPN law.

Russia began cracking down on VPNs in 2017 to help deter copyright infringement. The Government outright banned services that allow users to access blocked pirate sites. Only companies that agree to block content are allowed to continue operating.

“This is an obvious trade barrier and real threat to the free market,” ACT writes in its letter to the USTR.

“The Russian government cites this regulation as an effort to keep people from accessing dangerous and illegal content. This regulation says that any internet providers that allow these to exist, or function without being blocked, will lose their market access.”

China Too

These types of issues are not limited to Russia. ACT makes no mention of the recent VPN crackdown in Iran but China’s VPN restrictions are called out.

Unlike in Russia, China’s anti-VPN stance has little to do with copyright infringement. The country’s policy is mostly in place to ensure citizens are unable to access websites that are banned by the state .

ACT believes that the VPN restrictions are a clear trade barrier that affects companies around the globe. It is opposed to China’s widespread blocking of websites, which includes the New York Times, Reddit and Wikipedia.

“China regulates and restricts the use of VPNs, leaving consumers in China out of the digital marketplace, while creating massive barriers to entry,” ACT notes. “China’s ‘extensive blocking of legitimate websites’ also threatens to impose significant costs on providers and users of services and products.”

U.S. Response

These concerns are not new. In an earlier trade barrier report, the U.S. Government previously called out China’s restrictive policies. They include a decision to ban VPNs, which also puts the privacy of foreigners at risk.

“This [VPN ban] has had a particularly dire effect on foreign businesses, which routinely use VPN services to connect to locations and services outside of China, and which depend on VPN technology to ensure confidentiality of communications,” the USTR wrote .

ACT hopes that the USTR will continue to press this issue. Whether that will make China reconsider its policies is an entirely different question. The same is true for Russia, which is unlikely to be receptive to U.S. critique at the moment.

What’s clear, however, is that the U.S. Government is already quite aware that VPN services can have considerable value.

A few weeks ago, the Department of the Treasury increased its support for internet freedom in Iran. Among other things, it carved out exceptions to the Iran sanctions, allowing U.S. VPN providers to continue operating in the country.

“These tools protect the ability of Iranians to engage in free expression and bravely resist regime oppression,” the Treasury wrote .

—

A copy of ACT’s trade barrier submission for the US Trade Representative’s 2023 NTE report is available here (pdf)

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

VPNs are valuable tools for people who want to use the Internet securely with decent privacy. They are vital for whistleblowers and people who rebel against Government oppression.

VPNs have recently become a sensitive topic in United States mainstream media. U.S. anti-abortion laws have increased the interest in privacy services as potential criminal penalties come into play. One of the problems, however, is that not all VPN services take privacy seriously.

This isn’t a new revelation. At TorrentFreak, we first highlighted this issue more than a decade ago . This revealed that the privacy policies at some VPN services were rather weak. Things become even more problematic when VPN providers say one thing and do another.

Lawmakers Urge FTC to ‘Monitor’ VPNs

There is currently little regulation in the VPN industry, prompting Senator Ron Wyden and Representative Anna Eshoo to sound the alarm bell. In a letter , sent last week, they urge FTC chair Lina Khan to take action.

“We write to urge you to use your authority to take enforcement actions against the problematic actors in the consumer Virtual Private Network (VPN) industry, focusing particularly on those that engage in deceptive advertising and data collection practices,” the letter reads.

“The VPN industry is extremely opaque, and many VPN providers exploit, mislead, and take advantage of unwitting consumers,” the lawmakers add.

Problems in the VPN industry have been highlighted in several reports and studies already. They are often the result of heavy competition. Many VPNs have the best interests of consumers in mind but others are simply interested in making profits.

No Logs?

This can lead to shady VPNs collecting and selling user data or promising not to log personal data but simultaneously handing ‘logged’ data over to the authorities. These are serious problems that have raised new concerns in response to the anti-abortion laws.

“Leading groups advise women seeking abortions that VPN with ‘no-log’ policies can be trusted to protect their data. While many popular VPN providers aggressively market their ‘no-log’ policies which allow users to anonymously surf the web, it’s nearly impossible to verify their claims.

“In various cases, VPN providers that advertise a strict ‘no-log’ policy have provided user activity logs to law enforcement,” the lawmakers add, pointing to a logging debacle at one of the larger VPNs.

The letter provides a detailed overview of the various problems and concerns. This includes a study on several free VPN apps that collected and shared data, as well as a more recent Consumer Reports study that identified some hyperbolic claims, including a reference to “military-grade encryption.”

VPN Reviews

VPN review sites are also put in the spotlight. These reviews often include affiliate links, which could lead to bias. That also applies to some of the bigger review sites that are owned by VPN companies.

Senator Wyden and Representative Eshoo are not against VPN use. On the contrary, they believe it can be vital. However, the FTC should step in to remove the bad apples, where possible. Making people aware of the potential benefits and risks could also be helpful.

“We urge the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take immediate action under Section 5 of the FTC Act to curtail abusive and deceptive data practices in companies providing VPN services to protect internet users seeking abortions.

“We also urge the FTC to develop a brochure for abortion-seekers on how best to protect their data, including a clear outline of the risks and benefits of VPN usage,” the lawmakers conclude.

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

Amidst growing concerns surrounding online privacy and security, VPN services have become increasingly popular in recent years.

Millions of people use VPNs to stay secure and to prevent outsiders from tracking their online activities. As with regular Internet providers, a subsection of these subscribers may be engaged in shady activities. This can create serious problems.

In the past, we have seen VPN services being taken to court over alleged piracy taking place through their network. These targets also included the American VPN company Torguard, which settled a dispute out of court. However, things would soon take a turn for the worse.

Criminal Prosecution in Greece

Earlier this year, TorGuard ‘s owner Ben Van Pelt became the prime target of a criminal investigation in Greece. As it turns out, someone used a stolen credit card through the VPN service, attempting to make online purchases of €126.25, €498.68, €0.67 and €1,400 at Greek companies.

All these transactions failed as the bank recognized that something was amiss. However, the card’s owner filed a complaint nonetheless and the Greek authorities took up the matter. Soon after, a police investigation was launched to find the person responsible for the attempted fraud.

This investigation eventually pointed to a shared IP address that was registered to TorGuard. In most cases the trail would end there as the VPN service has no logs to connect an IP address to a person. For the Greek authorities, the case was just getting started.

The authorities identified Ben Van Pelt , who founded and owns the Florida-based TorGuard VPN service, as the culprit. As such, he is now the prime suspect in a foreign criminal investigation, facing up to five years in prison.

‘Incredible Accusations’

Mr. Van Pelt hired attorney Alexis Anagnostakis to help him in this matter. Speaking with TorrentFreak, the lawyer says that it’s “unbelievable” that his client is being held personally liable for the fraudulent activity.

“The irregularities of the investigation are extremely difficult to justify and have led to an incredible accusation against an upstanding businessman. There is no evidence whatsoever that Mr. Van Pelt was personally involved in the alleged fraud or had any participation or was an accessory,” Anagnostakis notes.

Anagnostakis is convinced that his client hasn’t done anything wrong and hopes that the authorities will soon realize this as well.

“As the Barrister defending Mr. Van Pelt, I believe that Mr. Van Pelt is manifestly innocent of the attributed charges against him and should be fully acquitted by the Court for this reason.”

Downside of Transparency?

The criminal accusations have taken Ben Van Pelt by surprise. Dealing with the uncertainty of a criminal lawsuit in a foreign country is tough but Torguard’s owner plans to fight the case with all means at his disposal.

Van Pelt has always been transparent about the ownership of the VPN company because he wants people to trust the service. Despite the legal trouble, that won’t change.

“This is an unfortunate situation that can affect any company structured with full ownership transparency. It is very frustrating to be falsely accused of something when there is a complete lack of factual evidence and a general misunderstanding of the technology involved,” Van Pelt informs TorrentFreak.

“I have a new appreciation for the protections afforded to businesses and individuals on a global scale, however, TorGuard will continue to operate transparently as trust is the cornerstone of our operations. If my customers do not know exactly who they are doing business with, how can they trust me?”

Whether Van Pelt will be able to prove his innocence will become apparent next year. In February, the Three-Member Court for Misdemeanours in Athens will hear the case. In addition to the Greek lawyer Anagnostakis, TorGuard’s owner is also represented by former US Attorney Vincent Citro.

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

Next month will mark the 10-year anniversary of a new law introduced by Russia to ensure the safety of its citizens online.

The “Extremist Websites Blocking Law” created a national blacklist to prevent socially harmful websites from being accessed by the public.

No longer would extremist, terrorist, Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), or the promotion of illegal drugs be allowed to spread online. ISPs would block offending sites within hours of receiving a complaint and Russian society as a whole would benefit.

Slippery Slope Ensues

The government assured citizens that only illegal content would be blocked and the blacklist could even be supervised by an independent citizen monitoring group. In the event, telecoms regulator Roscomnadzor appointed itself supervisor but the government did keep its word to block only illegal content, by making more and more content illegal.

Over the last decade Russia has introduced more laws to expand its blocking powers to encompass pirate streaming sites and torrent portals, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and any ‘illegal’ news sites that stray from the Kremlin’s definition of factual reporting.

In the background, citizens accustomed to unblocking unlicensed media sites started using their VPN and Tor skills to get an unrestricted view of the world. Russia responded by placing strict rules on VPN servers in Russia and then via the ‘VPN Law’, outlawed internet tools that enable access to illegal information.

Information War Targets VPNs

Russia has been using its anti-VPN legislation to remove hundreds of thousands of VPN-related links from Google and since the invasion of Ukraine, has stepped up the pace . Tor is also in the middle of a blocking drama and now faces a court battle .

Over the past few days, Russian VPN users reported fresh issues when trying to access well-known providers such as NordVPN, which does not even have servers in Russia. Problems were also experienced when accessing Switzerland-based Proton VPN, peer-to-peer censorship circumvention tool Lantern, Windscribe, and related services including VPN creation tool Outline .

“We are currently investigating the issue, but it is not caused by any changes on our side,” Proton announced . “It is likely that the local ISPs and the authorities are interfering with VPN connections, in which case it may not be possible for us to solve such issues. Some servers may continue to work. We are continuing efforts to bypass the block.”

Russia Admits Responsibility

In a statement to local media, telecoms watchdog Roscomnadzor reiterated that website unblocking tools are illegal and measures are being taken to limit access to them.

“According to the Law ‘On Communications’, means of bypassing blocking of illegal content are recognized as a threat. The Center for Monitoring and Control of the Public Communications Network is taking measures to limit the operation of VPN services in Russia that violate Russian law,” the government agency said.

At least historically, VPN providers have usually been given notice that they need to come into compliance or face action but there are no signs that the targeted providers were notified in recent weeks. Whether it played a direct role is unclear but Proton previously offered Russians free access to its services, to bypass state censorship.

On March 15, 2022, Alexander Khinshtein, chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, revealed that at least 20 VPN services are now being blocked in Russia and that Roscomnadzor intends to block more, if providers fail to comply with the law.

A key problem for privacy-focused VPN providers is the Russian requirement to connect to the Federal State Information System which contains a register of sites and URLs deemed illegal in Russia. Most simply refuse and leave the country but when that is not possible, they are compelled to block sites themselves, a situation that Kaspersky failed to prevent .

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.