Luke Rodeheffer
The Kremlin instituted restrictions on the civilian use of virtual private networks (VPN) and U.S.-built technology at the beginning of September, ostensibly fearing that the U.S. government is using the technology to sow internal discord in Russia.
The Russian Duma approved legislation on July 15 to create a national messaging system, known as “Max,” that will combine communications with state services, similar to the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) WeChat.
These measures fit into Moscow’s broader project of creating a sovereign internet space, which includes banning foreign messaging platforms, restricting VPN use, and the continued crackdown on civilian digital encryption.
The Kremlin is continuing to develop its “sovereign internet,” a project to silo its domestic internet from global networks, under the pretext of national security (see EDM, February 15, November 25, 2024, February 6). Beginning September 1, Moscow instituted additional restrictions on the use of virtual private network (VPN) technology, including a ban on advertising VPNs or sharing information on circumventing the bans. VPNs are now also considered an “aggravating circumstance” while committing a crime (SKBGroup, August 11; Meduza, September 1). These new laws will require service providers to monitor search queries made by customers and continue traffic monitoring to block many VPN encryption protocols. One survey cited in the Russian press found that over 60 percent of VPN users in the country use the technology to access banned social media networks, highlighting the technology’s ability to bypass the Kremlin’s censorship structures (Newizv, August 1).
The September legislation is not a full ban on VPNs, as commercial VPN technology is still necessary for various information technology (IT) tasks. The partial ban will still make work more difficult for Russia’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) firms, Russian companies that have employees outside of Russia, the numbers of which have grown dramatically since the outbreak of the war in 2022, and firms that rely on access to foreign information technology (Interfax, July 21).
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