Russia Plans to Block Scientific and Technical Information Regarding VPNs

• Russia’s intention to completely block VPNs seems to be intensifying.
• Soon, any information regarding setting up VPNs will be illegal.
• Since March, advertising VPNs is no longer allowed in the country.

Russia’s efforts to fight against VPN providers seem to be progressing, with the country’s authorities planning to ban additional types of information regarding VPNs. According to AzerNews, scientific and technical information describing how to create and install VPN services could soon be made illegal.

This is a draft order prepared by the Federal Service for Supervision of Communication, Information Technology, and Mass Communication of the Russian Federation (Roskomnadzor). The public discussion of the draft order is poised to end on August 5, which will then become active on March 1, 2025, and stay valid until September 1, 2029.

As Roskomnadzor notes, any scientific and technical information that describes how VPN services or devices are created or used will be prohibited. More precisely, this applies to any information that provides individuals with resources on how to bypass Internet restrictions imposed within the territory of the Russian Federation.

The only exception will apply to VPNs used for remote secure access, which are most often used by government agencies, local governments, and commercial enterprises.

This latest effort to disrupt VPN providers comes after Russia’s ban on advertising VPN services, which took effect on March 1, 2024. Bypassing blocked or illegal content has not been allowed in the country since February 2020, so advertising VPN services and providing technical information on VPNs is now also considered illegal.

Russia’s hostile stance towards VPN services isn’t new. Just recently, Apple was asked to remove 25 VPNs from the App Store. Also, Apple’s Private Rely doesn’t work in the country. In the past, VPNs such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and IPVanish faced obstacles in Russia, as well as VyprVPN and Opera VPN.

VPNs are still widespread in Russia, as those tools provide the only way to access blocked websites and preserve online privacy. However, it’s crucial to exercise caution when using such digital tools. Our comprehensive guide on the best VPNs for Russia provides more information.