Russia’s communications watchdog is planning to block Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) next year, according to a pro-Putin official.
Use of VPNs soared after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine as Russia restricted access to social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Senator Artem Sheikin, of the ruling United Russia party, reportedly said today that an order from the Roskomnadzor watchdog banning the networks will come into play on 1 March 2024.
His comments were cited by Russian news agency RIA.
The Kremlin has been running an information crackdown since the invasion last year, in a bid to stop the publication of what it considers “false information” about the war.
Explained: A VPN is a service which protects a person’s internet connection and privacy.
It hides the IP address being used by “tunnelling” traffic between the user’s device and a remote server.
The tool can also be used to change or hide someone’s online location.
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